At day 15, significantly greater reduction seen in depressive symptoms as measured by change in HAMD-17 score from baseline<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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WEDNESDAY, June 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — For women with postpartum depression, zuranolone improves symptoms of depression, as measured by the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) score, according to a study published online June 30 in JAMA Psychiatry<\/em>.<\/p>\n Kristina M. Deligiannidis, M.D., from Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York, and colleagues conducted a randomized, outpatient trial involving women aged 18 to 45 years, no more than six months postpartum, with postpartum depression and a baseline HAMD-17 score of 26 or higher. Participants were randomly assigned to either placebo or zuranolone administered orally each evening for two weeks (76 and 77 participants, respectively).<\/p>\n The researchers observed a significant day-15 improvement in HAMD-17 score from baseline with zuranolone versus placebo (\u00e2\u0088\u009217.8 versus \u00e2\u0088\u009213.6; difference, \u00e2\u0088\u00924.2). From day three through 45, sustained differences in HAMD-17 scores favoring zuranolone were observed (differences, \u00e2\u0088\u00922.7 and \u00e2\u0088\u00924.1, respectively). At day 15, there were sustained differences favoring zuranolone for HAMD-17 response (odds ratio, 2.63), HAMD-17 score remission (odds ratio, 2.53), change from baseline for Montgomery- \u0085sberg Depression Rating Scale score (difference, \u00e2\u0088\u00924.6), and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety score (difference, \u00e2\u0088\u00923.9). One patient in each group experienced a serious adverse event. Due to an adverse event, one patient in the zuranolone group and none in the placebo group discontinued treatment.<\/p>\n “These encouraging results are an important step in efforts to develop a novel treatment option for patients who suffer from this prevalent condition,” Deligiannidis said in a statement.<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Sage Therapeutics, which manufactures zuranolone and funded the study. One author reports a patent pending for use of neuroactive steroids in the treatment of postpartum depression.<\/p>\n