26 | HealthLinksSC.com “Sage developed the compound and reached out to sites across the country to take part in the clinical trials,” Dr. Guille said. “I had worked with them before as a content expert on postpartum depression, and, in addition to MUSC, where we did the clinical trial, there were at least 10 to 15 other testing sites around the country.” She added that the trials held particular, personal interest for her because of her experience seeing “so many women suffering with this condition for a very long time.” Researchers with the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, estimate that 1 in 7 women can develop postpartum depression, which tends to severely affect their ability to return to normal function. Risk factors include depression and anxiety, negative attitudes toward the baby, crying, irritability and adverse changes in sleeping or eating patterns. “We know that at this point in our country, maternal mental health conditions are the leading cause of maternal mortality by suicide and drug overdose,” Dr. Guille said. “We are thrilled to have new and effective treatments available for women.” Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors are currently the medications used for the treatment of postpartum depression. Dr. Guille said that while SSRIs take six weeks or more to relieve PPD symptoms, for some women, the symptoms can persist for a year without treatment. “The clinical trials with Zurzuvae demonstrate significant improvement in symptoms in two to three days,” she said. “FDA approval of Zurzuvae is a great advancement in the treatment of PPD, and I hope it will be a medication that is available and accessible to all women in need of this treatment.” The approval of Zurzuvae to treat postpartum depression is a major milestone for the hundreds of thousands of women who experience this underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. “ “
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