[6] The US FDA label contains a boxed warning noting that zuranolone can impact a person's ability to drive and perform other potentially hazardous activities.
[6] Zuranolone was developed as an improvement on the intravenously administered neurosteroid brexanolone, with high oral bioavailability and a biological half-life suitable for once-daily administration.
[3][4] The efficacy of zuranolone for the treatment of postpartum depression in adults was demonstrated in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter studies.
[6] Approval of Zurzuvae was granted to Sage Therapeutics, Inc.[6] Zuranolone has also been under development for the treatment of major depressive disorder, but the application for this use was given a Complete Response Letter (CRL) by the FDA due to insufficient evidence of effectiveness.
In a randomized, placebo-controlled phase III trial to assess its efficacy and safety for the treatment of major depressive disorder, subjects in the zuranolone group (50 mg oral zuranolone once daily for 14 days) experienced statistically significant and sustained improvements in depressive symptoms (as measured by HAM-D score) throughout the treatment and follow-up periods of the study.