Postpartum depression pill gets approval in a 1st for Canada
Global News
Manufactured by Biogen, the drug has been approved for use in the United States since late 2023 and is also authorized in the U.K. and the European Union.
Health Canada has approved the first drug designed to treat postpartum depression.
Zuranolone, sold under the brand name Zurzuvae, is a pill taken once a day for 14 days and can start relieving depressive symptoms in as few as three days.
Manufactured by Biogen, the drug has been approved for use in the United States since late 2023 and is also authorized in the U.K. and the European Union.
According to Health Canada’s website, one in five women experience a depression or anxiety disorder during or after pregnancy.
Zuranolone is a welcome drug for women suffering from moderate to severe postpartum depression, said Dr. Crystal Clark, Canada Research Chair in reproductive mental health and a psychiatrist at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants are often used to treat postpartum depression, but they generally don’t work as quickly and women have to stay on them for much longer, Clark said.
“Although we have treatment options that can be effective for many who have postpartum depression, this will be the first drug that only needs to be taken for two weeks and has a rapid onset of a few days.”
SSRI antidepressants make the neurotransmitter serotonin more available to areas in the brain associated with mood.
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