The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the medication zuranolone for the treatment of postpartum depression, a serious mental illness that can develop in about 1 in 7 new mothers after childbirth.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted production permission for a postpartum depression medication named Zurzuvae to be released into the market. The medication, in pill form, will be taken once a day and used for two weeks.
Sage Therapeutics and Biogen, the partnership behind the development of the medication, stated that the drug will be launched around the end of the year. The price of the medication has not been disclosed yet.
Clinical trials conducted on the medication showed significant improvement in depression symptoms three days after consumption.
The development of Zurzuvae comes at a time when more awareness has been raised about postpartum depression and when greater attention has been drawn to the fact that mental health struggles have become the leading cause of maternal deaths related to pregnancy.
Harms child development as well
According to a study conducted in the U.S., one in seven women experiences these symptoms after childbirth.
Tiffany Farchione, the head of the psychiatry division at the FDA, states that postpartum depression is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition: “Women experiencing this can feel sadness, guilt, and worthlessness. In more severe cases, they can experience mood swings that could lead them to harm themselves or their children.”
Farchione also mentions that since this state of depression can impact the bond between a mother and a newborn, it can also harm child development.
Postpartum depression is often overlooked
Postpartum depression is approached differently compared to other clinical depression cases. Certain studies suggest that cases occurring shortly after a woman gives birth are linked to hormonal changes. The new medication is also partially focused on addressing these changes.
Belonging to the neurosteroid group, the medication is available in both pill and serum forms and contains the chemical “zuranolone,” which is believed to counterbalance the decrease in the progesterone hormone during the postpartum period.
“For a long time, it has been assumed that postpartum depression is related to the sensitivity that some women have towards the significant hormonal changes from pregnancy to postpartum,” mentioned Catherine Monk, a professor of women’s mental health at Columbia University, in a statement to Vox. She further stated that the medication specifically targets these hormonal changes unique to the perinatal period.”
Women have been neglected in medical research for years
The prolonged process of approving a pill specifically designed for this purpose partly stems from the long-standing neglect of women in medical research and the insufficient attention given to postpartum depression.
Furthermore, pharmaceutical companies also tend to focus less on mental health. Monk states, “It’s known that pharmaceutical companies invest less in psychiatric medications compared to medications for other diseases.” This is due to high drug development costs and financial risks. This is because research might not always lead to a viable product.
Kaynak: Vox, BBC