Sage’s Postpartum Depression Medication Shows Promise in Phase 3 Trial

The investigational oral medication SAGE-217 may reduce depressive symptoms in women with postpartum depression (PPD) within two weeks, suggest the results of a phase 3 trial. Sage Therapeutics, manufacturer of SAGE-217, announced the findings earlier this month.

In the ROBIN Study, women with severe PPD (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17 [HAMD-17] ≥26) who received 30 mg of SAGE-217 for two weeks experienced a statistically significant improvement of 17.8 points in HAMD-17 score, compared with an improvement of 13.6 points for placebo. This effect was maintained through the four-week follow-up.

Among those who took the medication, 45 percent achieved remission at two weeks, compared with 23 percent of those in the placebo group. At the end of the four-week follow-up, 53 percent of patients who took SAGE-217 achieved remission compared with 30 percent of patients who took placebo. ■