Zuranolone Found to Quickly Reduce Major Depression Symptoms in Phase 3 Trial

Adults with major depressive disorder may experience mood improvements within days of taking zuranolone (50 mg/day), astudy inThe American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP) suggests. Zuranolone is an oral, once-daily neuroactive steroid that acts on GABA-A receptors.“[P]atients receiving zuranolone 50 mg/day demonstrated significantly greater improvements in depressive symptoms at day 15 compared with those receiving placebo,” wrote Anita H. Clayton, M.D., of the University of Virginia School of Medicine and colleagues. The study “supports the potential r ole for a 14-day therapy with oral zuranolone 50 mg/day in adults with MDD [major depressive disorder], with rapid improvements in depressive symptoms observed at the day 3 visit that were sustained through day 42, relatively high response and remission rates, and a favorable safety profile.”The study was funded by Biogen Inc. and Sage Therapeutics Inc.,who are working together on the development of zuranolone.The phase 3 trial included patients who were between the ages of 18 and 64 years, had received a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (according toDSM-5 criteria), had been experiencing symptoms of depression for a least four weeks, and had a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) score of at least 24 at screening and before they started taking the assigned study medication.The researchers randomized the participants to take either 14 days of treatment with zuranolone 50 mg/day or placebo in the evening. Regardle...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: American Journal of Psychiatry depression GABA-A receptors major depressive disorder phase 3 trial rapid-acting antidepressants zuranolone Source Type: research