(TheRedWire.com) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Friday the first approval for a pill that would help treat postpartum depression (PPD).
Zurzuvae is the first pill to enter the market to target PPD and help in its treatment. PPD can occur in mild forms in almost half of new mothers. Tiffany Farchione, the FDA Director of Psychiatry, pointed out that Postpartum depression can be dangerous and possibly life-threatening as, in many cases, the women who suffer from PPD can feel extreme sadness and even half thoughts of hurting their child or themselves.
She pointed out that accessing oral medication could be an excellent option for women with PPD. According to two randomized studies, the pill effectively targeted PPD, according to the agency. One of the two studies specifically showed a 55 percent improvement in the symptoms of women suffering from PPD.
The pill, meant to be administered once a day, can help reduce the symptoms within days and even be taken over a prolonged period, similar to how antidepressants traditionally work.
Manufacturer Sage Therapeutics had previously released Zulresso, a drug that was also the first one ever to target PPD symptoms. However, the 2019 drug was administered through an IV injection, which was inconvenient for new mothers.
Zurzuvae will go through the approval process of Drug Enforcement, which can take around 90 days.
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