FDA reviewing drug for postpartum depression developed by Cambridge company
BOSTON - Jamie Zahlaway Belsito looks back fondly on photos of her and her first daughter right after she was born. "Here's my little bun bun," she said.
Not all of the memories of that time are fond for Belsito. She underwent an emergency cesarean section, had a baby with food allergies, and suffered from insomnia. Belsito says she started to experience intrusive thoughts.
"I felt like I was underwater, I felt like I was just going through the motions, and I had this thought that if I just went to sleep and never woke up again, my daughter would be so much better off without me," Belsito said.
Belsito was one of the one in five women who experience postpartum depression, according to her non-profit, the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance.
Right now, there is only one drug on the market specifically for PPD. Developed by Cambridge-based Sage Therapeutics, it is called Zulresso. The drug is given intravenously to patients for 60 hours in a health care setting and can rapidly improve a patient's depressive state.
Zulresso launched in 2019 and has only been administered to hundreds of patients. Now, new help could be on the horizon.
Sage and partner company, Biogen, are awaiting FDA approval for an oral medication for PPD and Major Depressive Disorder called Zuranolone.
"Of course, we think that Zuranolone will be accessible to many, many more patients and we're excited by that, to really fulfill that unmet need," said Amy Schacterle, Sage's Senior Vice President of Research and Development Strategy.
An oral medication for new moms that acts faster than traditional anti-depressants could be benefit new moms. Belsito says the health system overall also needs to change.
"Perhaps have a call a couple of days after. 'Hi, it's Jamie from the OB/GYN's office. Just checking to see how you're doing,'" Belsito said, "In conjunction with that, the pediatrician. 'Hey, how are you doing? Baby looks great. Let's talk about you.'"
Jamie is advocating for prescreening moms for PPD and including partners in the process.
"I would encourage that mom, write down your questions, and make sure that you've brought in your partner, and pick out who are your hype girls or hype guys. Who are your people," she said.
