First pill for postpartum depression could be rolled out in US by AUGUST  trends now

First pill for postpartum depression could be rolled out in US by AUGUST  trends now
First pill for postpartum depression could be rolled out in US by AUGUST  trends now

First pill for postpartum depression could be rolled out in US by AUGUST  trends now

Health chiefs are poised to approve the first-ever pill made specifically for women dealing with post-partum depression

Massachusetts-based drugmakers Sage Therapeutics and Biogen said Monday the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could approve the medication by August 6.

The medication zuranolone is an antidepressant drug that patients only need to take for two weeks. This is a stark contrast to the other medication on the market for postpartum depression (PPD), a drug called Zulresso, which needs to be administered via IV continuously for 60 hours.

Postpartum depression plagues about one in seven new mothers. Symptoms can be debilitating, from deep despair and frequent crying to thoughts of hurting the baby, not feeling connected to the baby, or feeling as if your baby is someone else’s.

Increased focus has been put on the condition in recent weeks after Boston mother Lindsay Clancy, 32, allegedly murdered her three children after suffering from an extreme form of postpartum psychosis.

Health chiefs are poised to approve the first-ever pill made specifically for women dealing with post-partum depression (file image)

Health chiefs are poised to approve the first-ever pill made specifically for women dealing with post-partum depression (file image)

Postpartum depression is common- about one in seven new mothers experience it. And it can be treated with medications and talk therapy.

Postpartum depression is common- about one in seven new mothers experience it. And it can be treated with medications and talk therapy. 

Dr Priya Singhal, Biogen’s Executive Vice president and head of research said on Monday: ‘We see potential for zuranolone, if approved, to be a meaningful new option that can help address the serious unmet need faced by the diverse populations struggling with [major depressive disorder] MDD and PPD.’

‘The FDA filing acceptance and granting of priority review are important milestones in the mission Biogen and our collaboration partner Sage share to advance the understanding and treatment of depression.’

Zuranolone is one in a class of drugs that target GABA receptors in the brain using a substance called a neurosteroid. 

It was designed to rapidly rebalance dysregulated brain networks responsible for functions such as mood, arousal, behavior, and cognition, to help reset brain function.

When a person is depressed, GABA and glutamate, both neurotransmitters, are thrown out of balance, affecting neuron activity. 

Depression treatments typically aim to boost serotonin

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