Here’s What You Need to Know About the Latest FDA-Approved Postpartum Depression Pill, Zurzuvae (Zuranolone)

This content has been updated from the previous article on February 12, 2025.

Navigating through motherhood is a journey filled with emotional highs and lows, but for some women, this transition can lead to a daunting mental health condition known as Postpartum Depression (PPD). Affecting approximately one in seven women worldwide, PPD extends beyond mere baby blues, signifying a profound psychological issue that necessitates care, empathy, and sometimes medication.

Postpartum depression is more than a fleeting state of mind. It’s a widespread issue affecting millions of women globally, transcending cultural and geographical boundaries. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, PPD is often overshadowed and misunderstood as the general “baby blues.” However, this condition lasts much longer than the baby blues and encompasses a wider range of symptoms that go beyond temporary or fleeting feelings of sadness. The same researchers also found that as many as half of all women with PPD go undiagnosed due to conflicts in privacy and stigma around the condition.

Recognizing PPD requires an understanding of its multifaceted symptoms. These symptoms represent a profound disturbance that goes beyond mere fatigue or anxiety associated with new motherhood. Women suffering from postpartum depression may experience intense feelings of sadness, worthlessness, guilt, sleep disturbances, and even thoughts of self-harm.

Current treatments for postpartum depression include therapy, antidepressant medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and hormone therapy. These methods can be effective, but they do not work for everyone and can take time to show results.

Zurzuvae: A New Pill For Postpartum Depression

A new postpartum depression treatment pill, Zurzavae (zuranolone), was approved by the FDA in August 2023 following extensive clinical trials. This breakthrough medication offers a unique mechanism of action, designed to provide faster relief from postpartum depression symptoms by targeting GABA-A neuroreceptors that help regulate mood. With its rapid onset capability and fewer side effects compared to traditional antidepressants, Zurzavae provides new hope for mothers seeking swift and effective recovery. Unlike older treatments, Zurzavae is a once-daily oral pill taken for just 14 days, offering a practical and often transformative solution that could revolutionize postpartum depression care.

Zulresso (Brexanolone) is Now Discontinued

Zulresso (Brexanolone) made history in 2019 as the first FDA-approved medication specifically designed to treat postpartum depression (PPD). Its approval was a milestone in mental health care, offering new hope to women struggling with this debilitating condition. However, despite its groundbreaking nature, Zulresso faced significant challenges that eventually led to its discontinuation in 2025. The main challenges were a 60-hour long intravenous infusion in a hospital or a clinic setting, risks of loss of consciousness, and a significant price tag up to $34,000, making it inaccessible to many women.

Zurzuvae (Zuranolone) vs Antidepressants (SSRIs)

As a part of PPD treatment, clinicians have prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Compared to SSRIs, this newly approved medication tends to work faster and with fewer doses than existing treatments. For example, SSRIs typically take 4 to 6 weeks to demonstrate improvement in mothers’ symptoms. Zuranolone is only a 2-week daily oral dose.

The majority of trial participants reported improvements in just three days of use. The mechanism of intervention is different as SSRIs work by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain while Zurzuvae (zuranolone) is a synthetic hormone replacement of allopregnanolone that aims to calm down stress responses. Allopregnanolone is a naturally occurring neurosteroid that is produced in the brain from the hormone progesterone. Low levels of allopregnanolone have been associated with depressed mood. As allopregnanolone production is associated with progesterone, the dramatic drop of progesterone post-delivery leads to a correlating drop in allopregnanolone.

Zuranolone can offer relief for many by addressing this known hormone imbalance. For so many people affected by postpartum depression, this new drug may offer hope. Its specific intended use, or indication, for PPD could also reduce stigma and increase willingness to take the medication.

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Zurzuvae’s Leap Forward

The breakthrough of Zurzuvae in the world of mental health care is an unprecedented stride toward treating postpartum depression. A recent FDA announcement praised the medication’s distinctively swift action and efficacy in trials.

Unlike other existing treatments, Zurzuvae’s action is not only often rapid but also typically sustained, offering lasting relief. Its approval represents a monumental advancement in mental health care and may provide a hopeful path to recovery for many women.

Additionally, as an acute therapy administered for just two weeks, Zurzuvae will be particularly attractive for patients who don’t want to be locked into taking long-term maintenance therapy.

Exploring Other Treatment Avenues for Postpartum Depression

Zurzuvae’s approval doesn’t eclipse other treatment avenues for postpartum depression. Every individual is unique, and the treatment must be tailored to personal needs and preferences. Options range from individual or group therapy to Cognitive Behavioral approaches, family therapy, or alternative treatments. LifeStance offers an array of services catering to individual needs and believes that every woman should have access to the mental health care that suits her best.

Some of these services include:

  • Anti-Anxiety or antidepressant medications
  • Psychotherapy
  • Participation in a group setting for emotional support and education

Bridging the Gap: From Awareness to Care

Postpartum depression is a complex and sensitive issue. Beyond medications like Zurzuvae, recognizing the symptoms, understanding the available treatment options, and approaching the condition with compassion and empathy is vital.

Those interested in managing depression or supporting depression treatment might find healthy habits to support depression treatment useful. Additionally, general tips for managing depression may also complement PPD treatment.

Zurzuvae may stand as a beacon of hope for many and show great promise for revolutionizing treatment for PPD. Its unique properties, reputation for quick action, and lasting formula make it a favorable option for many.

However, a full spectrum of treatment choices, from therapy to medications, must be considered. If you or someone you know is experiencing signs of postpartum depression, the expert providers at LifeStance can guide you on the journey to recovery.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 to reach someone with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. They’re available 24 hours a day and provide services in multiple languages.

References

  1. About Maternal Mental Health Disorders (n.d.), Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. https://policycentermmh.org/mmh-disorders/

  2. Beyond the Baby Blues: Depression During and After Pregnancy (December 18, 2019). National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). https://www.nami.org/depression-disorders/beyond-the-baby-blues-depression-during-and-after-pregnancy/

  3. Cornett EM, Rando L, Labbé AM, Perkins W, Kaye AM, Kaye AD, Viswanath O, Urits I. Brexanolone to Treat Postpartum Depression in Adult Women. Psychopharmacol Bull. 2021 Mar 16;51(2):115-130. PMID: 34092826; PMCID: PMC8146562.

  4. FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression (August 4, 2023). U.S. Food & Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-oral-treatment-postpartum-depression

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Key Takeaways Key Takeaways

  • Postpartum depression (PPD) impacts millions of women worldwide. It affects up to one in seven women. Symptoms of PPD include intense feelings of sadness, worthlessness, guilt, sleep disturbances, and even thoughts of self-harm.

  • The FDA approved Zurzuvae (zuranolone) as the first and only oral, once-daily, 14-day treatment medication that can provide rapid improvements in depressive symptoms for many women with PPD.

  • As of January 1, 2025, Zurzuvae was the only FDA-approved medication available for postpartum depression, following the discontinuation of Zulresso (brexanolone). Unlike its predecessor, which required intravenous administration, Zurzuvae is a more convenient option, making it a significant advancement in postpartum depression care.

Authored By 

LifeStance Health

LifeStance is a mental healthcare company focused on providing evidence-based, medically driven treatment services for children, adolescents, and adults.

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