STAT Plus: Sage has a backup plan for its depression drug: Three new studies aiming for 2022 approval
After meeting with the Food and Drug Administration, Sage Therapeutics said Wednesday that it will start three new studies with the aim of getting its experimental antidepressant pill approved in 2022, while looking to cut costs to control its spending.
This is Sage’s backup plan for its most important depression drug called zuranolone, or SAGE-217, following the failure of a Phase 3 clinical trial in early December. The new studies will cover three different uses of the drug: in postpartum depression; as a “rapid response treatment” when added to traditional antidepressants, known as SSRIs; and as a treatment to help patients undergoing an episode of depression.
