Expect Limited Use of IV Brexanolone (Zulresso) for Postpartum Depression

Intravenous brexanolone (Zulresso, zul-REH-soh) will make a splash as the first FDA-approved treatment for postpartum depression.

Brexanolone has a unique mechanism...it mimics the hormone allopregnanolone, which interacts with GABA receptors. This hormone abruptly dips around childbirth...possibly leading to major depression.

Brexanolone is given as a single 60-hour infusion. It starts to improve depression symptoms 24 to 48 hours after starting the infusion. In comparison, SSRIs take at least 1 to 2 weeks to start working.