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The topic of my latest #NatureMedicine Clinical Pipeline column, zuranolone, represents an improvement in both safety & ease of administration over its on its predecessor, brexanolone (which was the first drug approved specifically for postpartum depression in 2019). The case for it in major depressive disorder is more complex.
Brexanolone is administered as an iv infusion over a 60 hour period (in a hospital setting).
As Pam Belluck of the NYT had noted in 2019, making an orally available form was the clear next step.
"A pill made with a similar molecule, which would be much more accessible and easier for patients, is showing promise in its clinical trials and would be submitted for approval in a couple of years if the results are good, according to Sage."
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/19/health/postpartum-depression-drug.html