Pill for postpartum depression shows promising results

A team of medical scientists from Sage Therapeutics and Biogen, led by Dr. discovered. depression. In their research American Journal of Psychiatry, The group conducted a Phase III clinical trial in postpartum women.

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that plagues many women. Its symptoms include extreme fatigue, depressed mood, lack of interest or concentration, and suicidal thoughts. Previous research suggests that 1 in 7 women experience some degree of postpartum depression. The only medication currently available is her one, Zurresso, given intravenously over three days and requiring a stay in a medical facility. This is an intolerable situation for most new mothers.

In this new effort, the research team developed a treatment called zranolone. It can be taken for several consecutive days in tablet form, usually he can take it for 15 days. Of note, this drug is not an antidepressant. This is a steroid that acts to reduce symptoms by balancing the firing of neurons in networks involved in mood and behavior. After 2 weeks, the patient stops taking the drug and sees a doctor for the next few weeks.

To test the drug’s efficacy, researchers recruited 170 women who had recently given birth and had previously been diagnosed with severe postpartum depression. Half of the volunteers received the drug and the other half received a placebo.

The researchers found that all women in the study experienced improvement in their symptoms, but only those who received the drug reported significant improvement and experienced sustained improvement for four to six weeks. discovered that it was only the woman who

Women who received placebo likely experienced improvement in their symptoms during the study period due to other types of care, such as rest from parenting. The FDA is reviewing the drug and expects to decide by August 5 whether to approve it.