Zuranolone Provides Hope for Postpartum Depression

Previous research has revealed that one in every seven women suffers from postpartum depression (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Postpartum Depression

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). 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.

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.

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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.

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 :

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

Source: Medindia