Success of New Postpartum Depression Pill Hinges on Affordability

Friday’s announcement of the new postpartum depression pill medication’s approval was welcomed as a momentous milestone, but it was soon overshadowed by concerns about the medication’s cost.

The extent to which zuranolone is prescribed will ultimately depend on its cost. The pharmaceutical company postponed a decision on price until later in the year, indicating that the failure of zuranolone to receive approval for the more prevalent ailment of major depressive disorder, or MDD, could have a significant negative impact. 

The Food and Drug Administration’s judgment that there was insufficient proof that zuranolone, which will be marketed as Zurzuvae, was successful in treating MDD caused a sharp decline in the share price of Sage Therapeutics, which collaborated with Biogen on the medication. 

On Monday, corporate representatives stated they were dedicated to making sure the medication remained available. However, they also noted that without the MDD indication and its significantly bigger patient pool, a number of factors will impact the pricing of zuranolone.

Each year, postpartum disorder affects an estimated 500,000 people. According to estimates from the National Institute of Mental Health, 14.5 million US individuals will have experienced at least one major depressive episode with significant disability in the previous year.

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Quick Relief: Zuranolone’s Significance in Postpartum Care

For women who have severe postpartum depression, the medication zuranolone has been licensed as a once-daily dose to be taken for two weeks. It works faster than most antidepressants in clinical trials, with many patients experiencing benefits within three days. 

Although there are concerns about how effectively the medication works over the long term because clinical trials only assessed mothers 45 days out, doctors indicated the treatment is promising for women with this problem. 

Is this medication going to be sufficient for maintenance in these women who may be at danger of a longer-term psychiatric illness like major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder? 

It is quite important to have this medication for rapid efficacy in the postpartum period. Co-founder and chief medical officer of the mental health telehealth company Brightside, Mimi Winsberg.

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Source: www.axios.com