A new intravenous medication—brexanolone—showed promising results in a small, but diverse sample of women with severe postpartum depression, according to a study published online June 12 in The Lancet. researcher says she is encouraged by the results of early clinical trials of brexanolone—an allosteric modulator of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GABA-A receptors—now entering a phase 3 clinical trial. “Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common complications of childbirth, but currently there are no treatment options specifically indicated to treat women with PPD,” said reseracher.
Because of the serious adverse impact that depression can have on the mother, infant, and family, a medication that acts quickly is important. Psychotherapy and antidepressants can often take weeks to be effective. For the double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, researchers assigned 21 women…
