Zuranolone Concentrations in the Breast Milk of Healthy, Lactating Individuals: Results From a Phase 1 Open-Label Study.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Zuranolone is a positive allosteric modulator of both synaptic and extrasynaptic γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors and a neuroactive steroid approved as an oral, once-daily, 14-day treatment course for adults with postpartum depression in the United States. This study assessed zuranolone transfer into breast milk. METHODS/PROCEDURES: Healthy, nonpregnant, lactating adult female participants received once-daily 30 mg zuranolone from day (D)1 through D5 in this phase 1 open-label study. The relative infant dose (RID; weight-adjusted proportion of the maternal dose in breast milk over 24 hours) for 30 mg zuranolone was assessed at D5. An RID for 50 mg zuranolone was estimated using a simulation approach across a range of infant ages and weights. FINDINGS/RESULTS: Of 15 enrolled participants (mean age, 30.1 years), 14 completed the study. The mean RID for 30 mg zuranolone at D5 was 0.357%; the mean steady-state milk volume over D3 to D5 decreased from baseline by 8.3%. Overall unbound zuranolone in plasma was low (≤0.49%). Plasma concentrations peaked at D5 before decreasing in a biexponential manner. There was strong concordance between the temporal evolution of zuranolone concentrations in plasma and breast milk. The estimated mean RID for 50 mg zuranolone based on a milk intake of 200 mL/kg per day was 0.984%. All treatment-emergent adverse events reported by participants were mild, the most common being dizziness (n = 3). IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Zuranolone transfer into the breast milk of healthy, nonpregnant, lactating adult female participants was low; the estimated RID for 50 mg zuranolone was <1%, well below the <10% threshold generally considered compatible with breastfeeding.

Efficacy and safety of zuranolone co-initiated with an antidepressant in adults with major depressive disorder: results from the phase 3 CORAL study.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental health disorder that can cause disability and functional impairment that standard-of-care (SOC) antidepressant therapies (ADTs) can take weeks to treat. Zuranolone is a neuroactive steroid and positive allosteric modulator of synaptic and extrasynaptic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A receptors approved as an oral, once-daily, 14-day treatment course in adults with postpartum depression and under investigation in adults with MDD. The phase 3 CORAL Study (NCT04476030) evaluated the efficacy and safety of zuranolone 50 mg co-initiated with SOC ADT (zuranolone+ADT) vs placebo co-initiated with SOC ADT (placebo+ADT) in adults with MDD. Patients were randomized 1:1 to once-daily, blinded zuranolone+ADT or placebo+ADT for 14 days, then continued open-label SOC ADT for 28 more days. The primary endpoint was change from baseline (CFB) in the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) total score at Day 3. Among 425 patients in the full analysis set, CFB in HAMD-17 total score at Day 3 was significantly improved with zuranolone+ADT vs placebo+ADT (least squares mean [standard error], -8.9 [0.39] vs -7.0 [0.38]; p = 0.0004). The majority of patients receiving zuranolone+ADT that experienced treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) reported mild or moderate events. The most common TEAEs present in ≥10% of patients in either zuranolone+ADT or placebo+ADT groups were somnolence, dizziness, headache, and nausea. These results demonstrate that zuranolone+ADT provided more rapid improvement in depressive symptoms compared with placebo+ADT in patients with MDD, with a safety profile consistent with previous studies. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04476030.

Zuranolone for the Treatment of Postpartum Depression.

OBJECTIVE: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common perinatal complication with adverse maternal and infant outcomes. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of zuranolone, a positive allosteric modulator of synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAA receptors and neuroactive steroid, as an oral, once-daily, 14-day treatment course for patients with severe PPD. METHODS: In this double-blind phase 3 trial, women with severe PPD were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive zuranolone 50 mg/day or placebo for 14 days. The primary endpoint was change from baseline in total score on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) at day 15; key secondary endpoints were change from baseline in HAM-D score at days 3, 28, and 45 and change from baseline in Clinical Global Impressions severity (CGI-S) score at day 15. Adverse events were monitored. RESULTS: Among 196 patients randomized (zuranolone, N=98; placebo, N=98), 170 (86.7%) completed the 45-day study. Treatment with zuranolone compared with placebo resulted in statistically significant improvement in depressive symptoms at day 15 (least squares mean [LSM] change from baseline in HAM-D score, -15.6 vs. -11.6; LSM difference, -4.0, 95% CI=-6.3, -1.7); significant improvement in depressive symptoms was also reported at days 3, 28, and 45. CGI-S score at day 15 significantly improved with zuranolone compared with placebo. The most common adverse events (≥10%) with zuranolone were somnolence, dizziness, and sedation. No loss of consciousness, withdrawal symptoms, or increased suicidal ideation or behavior were observed. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, zuranolone demonstrated significant improvements in depressive symptoms and was generally well tolerated, supporting the potential of zuranolone as a novel, rapid-acting oral treatment for PPD.