Specific therapy options in the USA
In the USA, two drugs are now specifically approved for the indication “postpartum depression in adults”. One of them, zuranolone (trade name ZurzuvaeTM), was only approved last week. Like the brexanolone approved in 2019 (trade name ZulressoTM) is said to be the derivative of the neurosteroid allopregnanolone, zuranolone, via its function as a positive, allosteric modulator of GABAA-receptor act. Such modulators facilitate binding of the natural ligand GABA and thus receptor activation. According to US technical information, the mechanism of action has not yet been fully clarified [3, 4].