Why was Ketamine manufactured?

Ketamine was originally manufactured as an anesthetic. It was first synthesized in 1962 by a team of American chemists led by Calvin Stevens. The team was looking for a new anesthetic that would be safe and effective, and ketamine met their criteria. It was approved for use in humans in the United States in 1970. Ketamine is still used as an anesthetic today, but it is also used off-label for a variety of other purposes, including pain management, depression, and PTSD.