The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first ever oral treatment for postpartum depression, zuranolone (branded as Zurzuvae) for adults, alongside safety warnings.1
The pill, taken once daily (50 mg) with fatty food for two weeks, has been shown in clinical trials to reduce depressive symptoms. It is expected to launch in the US later this year after scheduling by the US Drug Enforcement Administration as a controlled substance, which takes around three months.
Zuranolone comes with a boxed warning stating patients should not drive or operate heavy machinery for at least 12 hours after taking it “due to central nervous system (CNS) depressant effects.”
“Postpartum depression is a serious and potentially life …