Brexanolone

As of March 2019, brexanolone - developed and made available commercially by Sage Therapeutics Inc. as the brand name product Zulresso - is the first drug to have ever been approved by the US FDA specifically for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD) in adult females . Since PPD, like various other types of depression, is characterized by feelings of sadness, worthlessness or guilt, cognitive impairment, and/or possibly suicidal ideation, it is considered a life-threatening condition . Studies have consequently found that PPD can genuinely have profound negative effects on the maternal-infant bond and later infant development . The development and availability of brexanolone for the treatment of PPD in adult females subsequently provides a new and promising therapy where few existed before .

In particular, the use of brexanolone in treating PPD is surrounded with promise because it acts in part as a synthetic supplement for possible deficiencies in endogenous brexanolone (allopregnanolone) in postpartum women susceptible to PPD whereas many commonly used anti-depressive medications elicit actions that may modulate the presence and activity of substances like serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or monoamine oxidase but do not mediate activities directly associated with PPD like natural fluctuations in the levels of endogenous neuroactive steroids like allopregnanolone .

And finally, although brexanolone may also be undergoing clinical trials to investigate its abilities to treat super-refractory status epilepticus, it appears that some such studies have failed to meet primary endpoints that compare success in the weaning of third-line agents and resolution of potentially life-threatening status epilepticus with brexanolone vs. placebo when added to standard-of-care .