For the first time, there’s a pill that specifically treats postpartum depression. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this year approved zuranolone, or Zurzuvae, which women can take daily for 14 days to address depression after delivery. The pills, made by Sage Therapeutics and Biogen, can start to improve mood in as little as three days. They could also dramatically increase the number of women diagnosed and treated for the condition; the only other drug treatment approved for postpartum depression is an intravenous medication that women get over 60 hours while admitted in a hospital-like setting. Experts say that an oral drug that works so quickly could alleviate some of the downstream effects of postpartum, especially on the bond between mother and baby.
Correction, Oct. 25
The original version of this story misstated the time required for the intravenous treatment for postpartum depression. It is 60 hours, not 60 days.
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