What we know — and don't know — about the FDA-approved postpartum depression pill
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first ever pill for treating postpartum depression, a potentially life-threatening condition that affects hundreds of thousands of new parents across the U.S. each year.
Manufacturers Sage Therapeutics and Biogen Inc. say the drug, Zurzuvae (zuranolone), will be commercially available in the fourth quarter of this year, which could be as soon as October.
The pill — to be taken once a day for 14 days — has shown promising results in two company studies, with some patients seeing benefits after just three days.
That's considerably faster than other antidepressants and much less invasive than the only other FDA-approved postpartum depression treatment on the market, which is also from Sage. It's delivered through IV during a 60-hour, $34,000 process.
The manufacturers have not said how much Zurzuvae will cost — so it's not clear how much insurance might cover, or how accessible the drug will be to the people who need it most. While anyone can develop postpartum depression, those from lower socioeconomic groups face a heightened risk.
Medical experts and maternal health groups
