Experts estimate that Germany alone is fighting every seventh young mother in the weeks after the birth of your baby against some serious depression. In the United States, around 400,000 women are supposed to be of the as postpartum Depression well-known disease, which can be very differently pronounced. The dark figure should be significantly higher. As the “New York Times” reported, the medicinal products competent U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved on Tuesday a drug, postpartum Depression, suffering mothers, better, and faster, to help the antidepressants that are currently available on the market. Accordingly, it is the first product that was developed for this Form of postpartum Depression.
Hormone to dampen activity in nerve cells
Brexanolone could be the new hope for young mothers. What lies behind the drug, from US pharmaceutical company Sage Therapeutics is marketed under the name Zulresso? Brexalonon is the synthetic Form of the hormone Allopregnanolone produced in the brain by using progesterone. As Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody of the University of North Carolina reported, it can depression and relieve anxiety by dampening the activity in the nerve cells. Meltzer-Brody, Director of the perinatal psychiatry program in Chapel Hill and was Director of the Brexanolon studies.
For the studies administered scientist almost 250 randomly selected Pregnant Brexanolon or a Placebo. All received within six months after the Infusion, a Baby and complained in the last third of pregnancy or within the first four weeks after birth moderate or severe depression. Among them also women, workers with suicidal thoughts. In both the Placebo-treated patients, as well as with Brexanolon-treated women, the symptoms slowed down, reported the American scientists.
First effect after 48 hours
In the case of depression seems to be a typical phenomenon, wherein the Brexanolon patients, according to Meltzer-Brody achieved significantly better results. Which is managed according to the researchers, but to keep the negative thoughts a month after the treatment, even in chess. Probably one of the crucial points on the way to the admission of the drug. In comparison to antidepressants, which are currently prescribed and often only after two weeks of improvements, to show the new medication within 48 hours of the first effect. Important: Brexanolone be reached only in very small quantities in breast milk.
60 hours of Infusion costs $ 30,000
At least one hook, the good news from the USA, but still. The total of about two and a half days administered Infusion to costs according to the Sage Therapeutics, a total of about 34,000 dollars, currently just under 30,000 Euro. But here, too, there is hope. US researchers are working on a pill that is made from a similar molecule and are in clinical trials, promising results has been achieved. Until the drug comes in this Form on the market, it could still take a few years.
In Germany, around 15 percent, with nearly 800,000 births, so about 120,000 young mothers are affected by depression. Wherein the range from the rather harmless, so-called “Baby Blues” to severe mental health problems is enough. Be treated women in this country, in the case of postpartum Depression with antidepressants, experts recommend to but also therapeutic conversations, or self-help groups.
