New Real-World Evidence for Zuranolone in Postpartum Depression, With Joy Baker, MD

A new study evaluated the real-world effectiveness of zuranolone, the first oral medication to receive FDA approval for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD). Researchers tracked 191 participants over 45 days to measure changes in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores across various levels of disease severity. The findings demonstrate that patients experienced clinically meaningful symptom reduction by the end of the two-week treatment, with many achieving full clinical remission that lasted through the follow-up period. Furthermore, the data indicates that nearly half of the participants utilized the drug as a standalone therapy without requiring additional psychiatric prescriptions. The research also highlights that many individuals safely continued breastfeeding during treatment, reinforcing the medication's practical utility for new mothers. Overall, the results suggest that zuranolone provides a rapid and sustained improvement for PPD symptoms in a diverse, real-world population.

In the video above, presenting investigator Joy Baker, MD, an OBGYN at Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, discusses the interim findings she presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2026 Annual Meeting, held April 13-16, 2026, in Nashville, TN.

Reference:

1. Baker LJ, Nagle-Yang, S, Bian B, et al. Real-world effectiveness of zuranolone in postpartum depression: interim results of a prospective observational study. Abstract presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) annual meeting, Nashville, TN. April 13-16, 2026.
2. US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Postpartum Depression. News release. Published August 4, 2023. Accessed April 21, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-oral-treatment-postpartum-depression