“I'm not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?”

This is what ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry’s character Chandler Bing was known for. He was known for being funny. However, he had his own struggles in his personal life and those struggles were acute depression. He was treating it with ketamine infusion therapy which is legal in the US and the UK.

What is Ketamine infusion therapy?

Ketamine is an anaesthetic used to treat depression, anxiety and pain under supervised and controlled medical settings. However, it does have its side effects, which can lead to distortion of sight, sound and time. It can also produce calming and relaxing effects.

Ketamine increases a person’s heart rate and blood pressure. If overdosed, it can leave users confused and agitated and can cause them to hurt themselves without even realising it. It can also lead to liver damage and bladder problems.

However, when used in moderation and under the supervision of medical doctors, it can treat depression where traditional antidepressants have failed.

Prof Rupert McShane, a University of Oxford psychiatrist who runs an NHS ketamine treatment clinic told BBC that ketamine “probably turns off the area of the brain that is involved in disappointment.”

Can Ketamine Infusion Therapy Kill Someone?

In simple terms, it cannot, be if the dosage is given in a controlled setting and as prescribed. Ketamine infusion therapy uses drugs in small doses than those used for anaesthesia. It acts faster than traditional anti-depressants, but the effects also wear off way quickly. Which is why it is important to monitor patients’ mental state for relapsing back into depression and discouraging them from overdosing on it.

There are ways of giving people ketamine. One of the ways is through “infusing”, which means to use an IV drip. However, injections, nasal sprays and capsules are also methods used to give people ketamine.

Since the dosage of ketamine used in the infusion treatment is small, it being the reason of actor Perry’s death was ruled out. The medical examiner also noted that Perry’s last ketamine infusion therapy session happened more than a week before his death, which means by the time he had died, it must have worn off.

So, What Happened To Perry?

Though Perry’s last session was more than a week before, his post-mortem showed that his blood contained a high concentration of ketamine. He had died of the “acute effects” of ketamine.

If it was not his session, then how did he get ketamine?

Prosecutors alleged that his assistant gave him at least 27 shots of ketamine in four days before his death, reported BBC.

Perry has been open about his personal struggles and this is what the doctors and dealers used against him. Martin Estrada, the US attorney for California’s Central District told the BBC that people took advantage of his condition. They charged him 165 times more than what vials of ketamine cost.

Names that have come up include Dr Salvador Plasencia, drug dealers “Ketamine Queen” aka Jasveen Sangha and Eric Fleming, and Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa.

Who Are These Names And What Did They Do?

Ketamine Queen or Sangha supplied drugs that led to Perry’s death. Her home was a “drug-selling emporium,” said Estrada. More than 80 vials of ketamine, and thousands of pills including methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax were allegedly found in her house known as the “Sangha Stash House.”

Sangha is known to deal with high-end celebs and was a “major source of supply for ketamine to others as well as Perry,” said Estrada.

Dr Plasencia called Perry a “moron” while charging him $2,000 for vials that cost only $12. He sold Perry 20 vials of ketamine between September and October 2023, costing $55,000.

He was the one who taught Iwamasa, who had no medical knowledge to inject the drug. This is after he knew that “Perry’s ketamine addiction was spiralling out of control,” as per what the investigators told the BBC.

Another dealer Fleming was told by Sangha to “delete all our messages.” While Fleming pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute drugs unlawfully, he also allegedly messaged Sangha: “Please call...Got more info and want to bounce ideas off you. I’m 90% sure everyone is protected. I never dealt with [Perry] only his assistant. So the assistant was the enabler.”

The court documents also revealed that he asked Sangha on whether the ketamine stays in your system or “is it immediately flushed out.”

Dr Pepper, Bots, Cans

The people who allegedly exploited Perry used coded language for ketamine and called it “Dr Pepper”, “bots”, or “cans.”

Selling overpriced drugs, taking advantage of Perry’s mental condition and falsifying medical records to make the drugs given to him look legitimate by Dr Plasencia is what took Perry’s life.

Iwamasa is said to have administered more than 20 shots of ketamine and three on the day Perry died. Whereas ketamine is only administered by a physician. Authorities also found that weeks before Perry’s death, Dr Plasencia allegedly bought 10 vials of ketamine and intended to sell to Perry.

He also injected Perry with a large dose, two days later. This caused him to “freeze up” and spiked his blood pressure.

When I Die, I Want Helping Others To Be The First Thing That’s Mentioned

Perry had always been open about his drug addictions, struggles with alcohol and his depression. He said that his openness would help others who are also struggling and wanted to be remembered by his quote which also is on the homepage of the Mattew Perry Foundation that helps others struggling with the disease of addiction: “When I die, I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned.”

Five arrests have been made in the case so far.

Bhutan has achieved a major public health milestone that several countries, including India, are still attempting to.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Bhutan’s elimination of dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem, making it the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve this milestone.

Bhutan's achievement comes after it recorded zero human deaths from dog-induced rabies since June 2023. It also demonstrated that it has the systems needed to prevent the disease from returning.

In India, rabies continues to remain a major public health concern. Bhutan’s public health achievement, therefore, offers an important lesson for India and other countries. Eliminating rabies means tackling the disease at its source, rather than relying only on treatment after a dog bite.

How Did Bhutan Eradicate Rabies?

Bhutan’s progress towards rabies eradication was built over more than a decade through a One Health approach, bringing together human health, veterinary services, local governments and communities.

The country’s Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme focused on mass dog vaccination, population management, surveillance and community awareness.

“Bhutan has shown that eliminating dog-mediated human rabies is possible when strong national leadership, a mature One Health approach and communities come together around a shared goal,” said Dr Nilesh Buddha, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region.

Bhutan also became the first country to sterilise its entire dog population that roamed freely on the streets through a nationwide programme.

WHO said Bhutan maintained universal, free access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) across all 20 districts, while continuing mass dog vaccination and integrated human-animal surveillance. Cross-border coordination with Indian states is also being strengthened to protect the achievement.

“Bhutan's success shows that the health of humans, animals and the environment we share is inextricably linked,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

He added that the fight against rabies is won by bringing health workers, veterinarians and communities together rather than working in silos.

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What Can India Learn From Bhutan?

In terms of rabies eradication, India has made progress, but the burden remains substantial.

WHO estimates that 5,726 people die from rabies in India every year, based on an ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology study. Around 9.1 million animal bites occur annually, with more than three-quarters caused by dogs.

The Indian government’s National Rabies Control Programme also states that around 96% of rabies mortality and morbidity is associated with dog bites.

India already has systems in place that could help with elimination of rabies. The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 provide for sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs, while the National Rabies Control Programme focuses on ensuring access to PEP for people exposed to animal bites.

Bhutan’s experience shows that rabies elimination cannot depend only on giving vaccines to people after bites occur. Vaccinating dogs, controlling dog populations, strengthening surveillance, ensuring rapid access to PEP and improving community awareness have to work together.

Dr Soneet Yadav, ER Consultant, Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune, told HealthandMe, "Rabies keeps claiming lives mainly because people wait long for post‑exposure treatment and because we do not control Rabies in stray and free‑roaming dogs well. To get rid of rabies, India must use a coordinated "One Health" plan that brings together health workers, city officials, vets and animal‑care groups.”

He added, “The important goal is to make sure many dogs get vaccinated all the time while we also run birth‑control programmes and keep a tighter watch on animal‑bite incidents. In hospitals in rural and underserved areas, anti‑rabies shots and Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) should always be available. I think people need to hear that every suspected Rabies exposure means they must go to a doctor fast.”

Also read: Newborn’s Nail Infection Leads Doctors To Aggressive Brain Tumour: What Are Glioblastoma's Symptoms In Babies?

What You Should Do Immediately After A Bite?

Once the virus reaches your nervous system, modern medicine will not be able to help you as there is no cure. But rabies is 100 per cent preventable if treated in time.

The moment you realise you have been licked, scratched, or bitten by an animal, especially one that is unvaccinated or unknown, Dr Yadav recommends the following things:

1. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes.
2. Apply antiseptic like iodine or alcohol.
3. Avoid putting chilli, turmeric, oil or other ingredients on the wound
4. Rush to a doctor; do not wait for swelling, itching or any other sign. You will need a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) shot, which includes a course of anti-rabies vaccines and sometimes immunoglobulin injections.
5. Keep a record of the animal if possible. If it is someone’s pet, you will want to confirm their vaccination history.

A tiny infection under a newborn’s fingernail turned out to be an important clue that led doctors to an unexpected and life-threatening diagnosis of an aggressive brain tumour.

Joey Sharp, from Penicuik in Midlothian, Scotland, was just 11 days old when his parents took him back to hospital after he began struggling to feed, losing weight and developing persistent jaundice. He was also showing signs of twitching intermittently.

A Tiny Nail Problem Led Doctors To Look Further

While examining the newborn, doctors noticed what appeared to be a very small infection in one of his fingernails. According to Joey’s mother, Sam Sharp, the abnormality was so tiny that it looked almost like a grain of sand beneath the nail.

But while doctors were investigating the problem, an ultrasound revealed a tumour in Joey’s brain.

The discovery came as Joey’s other symptoms were becoming increasingly concerning. What initially looked like a minor problem with his finger became part of a much larger medical investigation.

Joey was subsequently diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Also read: BBC News Presenter Maryam Moshiri Reveals Incurable Blood Cancer: What Is Polycythemia Vera?

Why Were Doctors Looking At His Finger?

The nail infection itself was not reported as the cause of the brain tumour. Rather, investigating the unusual finding was part of the baby's broader medical assessment after he returned to hospital with several unexplained symptoms.

In newborns, symptoms can sometimes be difficult to interpret because babies cannot describe what they are experiencing. Problems such as poor feeding, weight loss, jaundice, and abnormal movements can have many possible causes.

In Joey's case, doctors' investigations ultimately led them to perform imaging that uncovered the brain tumour.

The story is therefore less about a nail infection “causing” a brain tumour and more about how an apparently minor physical finding helped doctors continue investigating a very sick newborn until they found the underlying problem.

Also read: FDA Approves New Breast Cancer Treatment That Targets Resistance Before Cancer Progresses

The Newborn Was Diagnosed With Glioblastoma

For Joey, treatment was intensive. He underwent three brain surgeries and nine rounds of chemotherapy. Two operations were performed to remove the tumour, while a third was needed to deal with scar tissue that was preventing medication from controlling his seizures.

At one point, Joey was experiencing more than 30 epileptic seizures a day and required feeding tubes.

What Symptoms Glioblastoma Can Cause In Newborns?

In babies, brain tumours may announce themselves through changes in head growth, feeding, alertness, vomiting or development rather than the classic headaches adults experience. According to reports on congenital glioblastoma, possible signs include:

• Rapidly increasing head size (macrocephaly) is one of the more important clues in infants
• Bulging or tense soft spot (fontanelle) due to increased pressure inside the skull
• Persistent vomiting, particularly when accompanied by other neurological changes
• Unusual sleepiness or lethargy
• Poor feeding or difficulty feeding
• Irritability or unusual changes in behaviour
• Seizures
• Weakness or reduced movement of one side of the body
• Abnormal eye movements or visual problems
• Delayed development
• Poor weight gain

Despite the severity of his illness and the treatment he required as a baby, Joey survived. He also participated in clinical trials designed to help researchers better understand how chemotherapy can be used to treat babies with brain tumours. He is now reported to be cancer-free.

In a world first, an experimental treatment has been administered to a 26-year-old woman, the daughter of American hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, in which mitochondria from her leg were injected into her eyes.

While the treatment did not restore vision, it produced a temporary return of the pupils’ response to light, offering a potentially important finding, according to scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in a paper published as a preprint on Research Square.

The eye study, posted as a preprint on August 10, has not yet undergone peer review. The treatment remains highly experimental and involved only one patient.

“It was my daughter. Mitochondria has amazing potential,” Ackman said in a post on X, adding that the family had seen a sustained benefit from the initial injection, although it was weaker than the immediate response.

Brain Hemorrhage Left Her Unable To See

In February this year, Ackman’s daughter Lucy collapsed in her Brooklyn apartment after suffering a brain hemorrhage, leaving her unable to move, speak or see, the billionaire said in a post on X.

While doctors performed emergency surgery, the injury damaged her optic nerve and left her unable to see. Her pupils also stopped responding to light.

Despite the progress in other areas, Lucy’s vision has remained severely affected.

After receiving emergency approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, doctors at Mount Sinai extracted mitochondria — the energy-producing structures inside cells — from Lucy’s leg muscle and injected them into the fluid of both eyes, according to Nature.

“Over the last six months, she has recovered her cognition – she understands everything including her circumstance – is able to walk a hundred or more steps at a time with assistance, is making progress with sounds, vowels and consonants and the beginnings of speech, but she remains unable to see,” Ackman said.

Mitochondrial Transplant Showed Temporary Visual Response

The researchers reported that Lucy, who had optic nerve damage in both eyes for three months, received one mitochondrial injection in each eye, 24 hours apart.

Importantly, neither eye developed inflammation. Within days of the injections, her pupils began responding to light again — something that had not happened in 45 tests over the previous 71 days.

She also reported seeing shapes and shadows through her left eye.

However, the response faded after about four weeks, and the treatment did not restore normal vision.

“We are working on a method to inject her eyes with more frequency,” Ackman wrote on X.

When Can Mitochondrial Transplants Help?

According to the researchers, mitochondrial transplantation involves delivering healthy, functioning mitochondria into tissue where the mitochondria have been damaged.

The approach has been studied in the human heart and brain, but had not previously been used in the eye.

"To our knowledge, this is the first administration of isolated mitochondria to the human eye. The procedure was performed to the filed specification in both eyes," the researchers said in the paper.

Retinal ganglion cells, which are involved in transmitting visual information from the eye to the brain, depend heavily on mitochondria to produce energy. In studies involving rodents, mitochondria injected into the vitreous — the gel-like substance inside the eye — have been taken up by these cells and improved their survival after optic nerve injury.

In Lucy’s case, the injection of her own mitochondria into the eyes was reported to be safe and was associated with the temporary return of pupillary responses to light. However, it did not restore normal vision, and the visual response faded after about four weeks.

Because the report involves only one patient and has not yet undergone peer review, much more research is needed to determine whether mitochondrial transplantation could eventually become a treatment for optic nerve damage or other forms of vision loss.