2D 3D
	ID	DDInter230
	Drug Type	small molecule
	Molecular Formula	C21H34O2
	Molecular Weight	318.494
	CAS Number	516-54-1
	Description	As of March 2019, brexanolone - developed and made available commercially by Sage Therapeutics Inc. as the brand name product Zulresso - is the first drug to have ever been approved by the US FDA specifically for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD) in adult females [F4066]. Since PPD, like various other types of depression, is characterized by feelings of sadness, worthlessness or guilt, cognitive impairment, and/or possibly suicidal ideation, it is considered a life-threatening condition [F4072]. Studies have consequently found that PPD can genuinely have profound negative effects on the maternal-infant bond and later infant development [F4072, A176080, A176083]. The development and availability of brexanolone for the treatment of PPD in adult females subsequently provides a new and promising therapy where few existed before [F4066]. In particular, the use of brexanolone in treating PPD is surrounded with promise because it acts in part as a synthetic supplement for possible deficiencies in endogenous brexanolone (allopregnanolone) in postpartum women susceptible to PPD whereas many commonly used anti-depressive medications elicit actions that may modulate the presence and activity of substances like serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or monoamine oxidase but do not mediate activities directly associated with PPD like natural fluctuations in the levels of endogenous neuroactive steroids like allopregnanolone [F4063]. And finally, although brexanolone may also be undergoing clinical trials to investigate its abilities to treat super-refractory status epilepticus, it appears that some such studies have failed to meet primary endpoints that compare success in the weaning of third-line agents and resolution of potentially life-threatening status epilepticus with brexanolone vs. placebo when added to standard-of-care [L5750].
	ATC Classification	-
IUPAC Name	1-[(1S,3aS,3bR,5aS,7R,9aS,9bS,11aS)-7-hydroxy-9a,11a-dimethyl-hexadecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-1-yl]ethan-1-one
InChI	AURFZBICLPNKBZ-SYBPFIFISA-N
Canonical SMILES	[H][C@@]1(CC[C@@]2([H])[C@]3([H])CC[C@@]4([H])C[C@H](O)CC[C@]4(C)[C@@]3([H])CC[C@]12C)C(C)=O
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