For the 400,000
women who suf-
fer from postpar-
tum depression (PPD)
each year, treatment
has been limited to
psychotherapy and
antidepressants that
can take weeks to
begin working. In
March, Sage Ther-
apeutics received
FDA approval for
Zulresso, the first
specific treatment
for PPD. Adminis-
tered via an IV over
60 hours, Zulresso
takes effect almost
immediately. (The
FDA doesn’t list any
risks for infants,
but Sage recom-
mends patients con-
sult a doctor before
breastfeeding.)
While traditional
antidepressants are
based on the idea
that the underlying
problem is depleted
levels of neuro-
transmitters (such
as dopamine),
Zulresso—Sage’s first
approved therapy—
targets the brain’s
neuroreceptors. “It’s
almost like reset-
ting the nervous sys-
tem,” says CEO Jeff
Jonas. The company
is applying the same
approach to other
conditions; Sage-
217, an oral drug for
major depressive
disorder, won break-
through designation
from the FDA in 2018,
and in clinical trials
improved symptoms
for most patients in a
matter of days.FOR TREATING
POSTPARTUM
DEPRESSION
QUICKLY
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