New Postpartum Depression Drug Costs Nearly $16,000

OLATHE, Kan. A new, first-of-its-kind oral pill to treat postpartum depression, which affects 1 in 7 women, comes with a hefty price tag.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zurzuvae in August, but the company that makes the drug just announced the shocking price this week: $15,900 before insurance. This leaves many doctors and mothers wondering how new mothers will be able to afford the drug.

Megan Reed lives in Olathe with her husband and 20-month-old daughter. Like many women, she suffered from postpartum depression.

It was a really difficult time, she said.

The depression lasted most of her pregnancy, but intensified after giving birth.

In a time that was supposed to be joyful, exciting and adventurous, it was dark. I felt really hopeless.; Every day I had suicidal thoughts. I didn’t want to exist at all, she added, which is when she realized she needed to ask for help.

The Mayo Clinic says postpartum depression may initially be mistaken for baby blues, but the symptoms are more intense and last longer.

Symptoms usually develop within the first few weeks after delivery, but may start earlier or later and include: depression, excessive crying, severe mood swings, difficulty bonding with your baby, withdrawal from family , loss of appetite, insomnia, loss of energy, intense irritability, fear of not being a good mother, hopelessness, thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, and recurring thoughts of death or suicide.

Megan said her symptoms included depression and dark thoughts. She finally got help after giving birth and several months later things got better. (Although she admits she’s not sure if it was the antidepressants or the weather, since she never really felt any difference from the medications).

However, a doctor prescribed antidepressants, which can take weeks to take effect. However, Sage Pharmaceuticals and Biogen’s new drug, Zurzuvae, is said to improve depressive symptoms in just three days. At least that’s what two clinical trials found earlier this year, according to a press release from Sage Pharmaceuticals.

However, given its price of $15,900 before insurance, some wonder who can actually afford this drug, the first of its kind.

I think it’s kind of crazy that the cost of this pill is more than what it cost to have the baby, Megan added. Not only that, but antidepressants like Zoloft only cost $20, according to Good Rx.

Still, Sage CEO Bryan Greene said in a press release Tuesday, “Both companies (Sage and Biogen) are working to enable women with PPD, who are prescribed Zurzuvae, to have access to treatment with minimal restrictions and, where possible, with few restrictions. no share whatever the financial means.

So far, it’s unclear how much drug insurance companies will cover or whether they will force women to try other treatments before being prescribed them.