Human psychopharmacology
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Human psychopharmacology · Mar 2017
Clinical TrialOpen-label, proof-of-concept study of brexanolone in the treatment of severe postpartum depression.
Preclinical evidence indicates that rapid changes in levels of allopregnanolone, the predominant metabolite of progesterone, confer dramatic behavioral changes and may trigger postpartum depression (PPD) in some women. Considering the pathophysiology of PPD (i.e., triggered by reproductive steroids), the need for fast-acting, efficacious treatments and the negative consequences of untreated PPD, there is an increasing focus on developing PPD therapies. Brexanolone (USAN; formerly SAGE-547 Injection), a proprietary injectable allopregnanolone formulation, was evaluated as a treatment for severe PPD in a proof-of-concept, open-label study. ⋯ Brexanolone was well tolerated and demonstrated activity in severe PPD. Larger, double-blind trials are needed for further evaluation.