Zuranolone Provides Hope for Postpartum Depression

A recent trial has shown that Zuranolone, a steroidal drug, seems to be effective against postpartum depression.

Highlights:

Postpartum depression affects a significant number of women and often goes undiagnosed and untreated
Researchers developed a steroidal drug known as Zuranolone that regulates neuron activity in mood and behavior-related networks
In the phase 3 trial, women who took Zuranolone showed significant and sustained improvements in their symptoms for four to six weeks

Postpartum depression often is left undiagnosed and worse, untreated. A recent trial is hopeful that a new drug could be the answer.

A team of Sage Therapeutics and Biogen medical scientists led by Dr. Kristina Deligiannidis from the Institute of Behavioral Science at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York discovered promising results from a new drug designed to alleviate the symptoms of postpartum depression.

The researchers performed a phase III clinical trial with postpartum women in their study, which was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry ().

Test Your Knowledge on Postpartum Depression (PPD)
Introduction

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a condition faced by mothers following childbirth. It is characterized by severe mood swings, restlessness, difficulty deciding, difficulty bonding with the baby, crying, disturbed sleep and appetite, lack of motivation, fatigue, negative thought patterns, anxiety and thoughts of harming the baby or oneself.

Baby blues or postpartum dysphoria is a less intense version of the same that lasts for a shorter time and is seen in 50% to 75% of women. PPD is seen in about 17% of women. It is caused by both physical and emotional factors. Early interventions help to manage the condition.

‘Zuranolone, an oral pill shows promise against postpartum depression in its phase 3 trial. #Depression #Zuranolone’

What is Postpartum Depression?

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that affects a large number of women. Its symptoms might include intense exhaustion, a bad mood, a loss of interest and concentration, and a desire to commit suicide.

Previous research has revealed that one in every seven women suffers from postpartum depression (). There is now just one medicine available, brexanolone under the trade name Zulresso. This is given intravenously over three days and necessitates a hospital stay, which is unsuitable for most new moms.

Post-Partum Depression Calculator
Are you suffering from depression after the delivery of your baby. This can be harmful to both you and your baby. Use this seven questions screening test to rule it out.

What is Zuranolone?

The study team produced a medication called Zuranolone in this latest endeavor; it may be taken in tablet form for numerous days in a row—typically 15, in this case.

Notably, the medication is not an antidepressant; rather, it is a steroid that acts to alleviate symptoms by regulating neuron activity in networks involved in mood and behavior. After two weeks, the patient discontinues use and consults with their doctor.

The researchers selected 170 women who had recently given birth and had previously been diagnosed with severe postpartum depression to examine the drug's efficacy. Half of the participants received the medicine, while the other half received a placebo.

How to Reduce Postpartum Depression After Delivery?
Better pain management measures following delivery can lower the risk of postpartum depression because poorly controlled pain might increase the risk of postpartum depression and associated complications.

Zuranolone: A Ray of Hope for Moms with Postpartum Depression

The researchers discovered that while all of the women in the trial saw improvements in their symptoms, only those who took the medicine showed significant improvements, and only those women experienced sustained improvements for four to six weeks.

It is probable that the women who got a placebo noticed improvements in their symptoms as a result of other sorts of care they received, such as break from child care. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is studying the medicine and will determine whether or not to approve it.

References:

Zuranolone for the Treatment of Postpartum Depression - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37491938/)
Postpartum Depression - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519070/)

Source-Medindia

Postpartum Depression- A Major Concern Among Indian Women
Postpartum depression is a major health care condition that manifests in women a few weeks after childbirth.