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Disease

Depression, Postpartum

Late-stage therapeutic developmentEmerging researchRising momentum
MeSHDepression, Postpartum
4
Publications
24
Clinical trials
2025
Latest publication
Current focus
Therapeutic developmentInflammation & immunityDisease mechanisms & pathology
Latest activity
beta

Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this disease.

Sugemule-7 alleviates oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and cell death, promoting synaptic plasticity recovery in mice with postpartum depression.

Research2025-01-09Scientific reports

Conventional and new immunotherapies for immune system dysregulation in postpartum mood disorders: comparisons to immune system dysregulations in bipolar disorder, major depression, and postpartum autoimmune thyroid disease.

Research2024-10-29Expert review of clinical immunology

Mapping global prevalence of depression among postpartum women.

Research2021-10-20Translational psychiatry

Accuracy of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for screening to detect major depression among pregnant and postpartum women: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data.

Research2020-11-11BMJ (Clinical research ed.)

What's happening now

An analyst briefing on current research, clinical, regulatory and industry activity surrounding this disease.

Executive briefingUpdating summary…Momentum: Moderate
Key developments
  • 6 clinical trials expected to report results, the earliest in Q3 2028.
Upcoming Milestones
Clinical Milestones15View all 15
Results expected 5
Recently completed 5
Other updates 3
+7 more in the activity timeline below
Activity timeline15

Clinical trials

16 sponsors · 7 new · 6 completed in the last 12 months (net +6)

The current development programme across all trial phases.

Clinical programme
24
All trials
6
Active
18
Late-stage
6
Completed
Late-stage studies

A Double-blind, Randomized, Psychoactive Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Intranasal Esketamine 84 mg in Addition to Comprehensive Standard of Care for the Rapid Reduction of the Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder in Adolescent Participants With Acute Suicidal Ideation or Behavior

Phase 3 · Recruiting · Janssen Research & Development, LLC

RNA Editing as a Biomarker of Antidepressant Response in Unipolar and Bipolar Depression (EDIT-ANDRE)

Phase 4 · Recruiting · Mayo Clinic

Prefrontal Glutamatergic Modulation by N-acetylcysteine and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Mild Depression in Youth

Phase 3 · Recruiting · University of Cincinnati

Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial for Bipolar Depression

Phase 4 · Active, not recruiting · Massachusetts General Hospital

A Multicenter, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Randomized Withdrawal Study of Solriamfetol in Subjects With Major Depressive Disorder With Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Symptoms

Phase 3 · Recruiting · Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.

A Multicenter, Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Seltorexant as Monotherapy in Adult and Elderly Participants With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and an Open-label Long-term Extension Treatment With Seltorexant

Phase 3 · Recruiting · Janssen Research & Development, LLC
Recruiting

A Double-blind, Randomized, Psychoactive Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Intranasal Esketamine 84 mg in Addition to Comprehensive Standard of Care for the Rapid Reduction of the Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder in Adolescent Participants With Acute Suicidal Ideation or Behavior

Phase 3 · Recruiting · Janssen Research & Development, LLC

RNA Editing as a Biomarker of Antidepressant Response in Unipolar and Bipolar Depression (EDIT-ANDRE)

Phase 4 · Recruiting · Mayo Clinic

Prefrontal Glutamatergic Modulation by N-acetylcysteine and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Mild Depression in Youth

Phase 3 · Recruiting · University of Cincinnati

A Multicenter, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Randomized Withdrawal Study of Solriamfetol in Subjects With Major Depressive Disorder With Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Symptoms

Phase 3 · Recruiting · Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.

A Multicenter, Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Seltorexant as Monotherapy in Adult and Elderly Participants With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and an Open-label Long-term Extension Treatment With Seltorexant

Phase 3 · Recruiting · Janssen Research & Development, LLC
Recently completed

Clonidine to Prevent Postictal Delirium After ElectroConvulsive Therapy: a Randomised, Placebo-controlled, Triple-blind, Single-centre Trial.

Phase 4 · Completed · Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern

A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Effects of Oral NMRA-335140 Versus Placebo in Participants With Major Depressive Disorder

Phase 3 · Completed · Neumora Therapeutics, Inc.

Research on the Therapeutic Effect and Clinical Indicators of XingpiJieyu Formula in the Treatment of Severe Liver Depression and Spleen Deficiency Type Depression Based on Abnormal Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism Pathway

Phase 4 · Completed · Peking University Sixth Hospital

Neurocomputational Mechanisms of Mood Improvement

Phase 4 · Completed · Marta Peciña, MD PhD

A Randomized, Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Saftey and Efficacy of Oral LPCN 1154A in Women With Postpartum Depression

Phase 3 · Completed · Lipocine Inc.

Long-term Efficacy and Tolerability of add-on Pramipexole for Anhedonic Depression - an Open Label Follow-up Study

Phase 3 · Completed · Region Skane

Evidence coverage

8 treatments

How much of this condition's readable clinical evidence the confidence engine has incorporated, across its most-studied treatments. This measures coverage of the evidence base — not whether any treatment works.

Limited evidence coverage
36% · 93/258 eligible items incorporated

Largest gap: off claim endpoint family (54, endpoint-family).

Research activity

4 papers

Key research shaping understanding of this disease, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.

Publications over time
20202025
Most influential

Accuracy of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for screening to detect major depression among pregnant and postpartum women: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data.

BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2020 · 532 cites

Mapping global prevalence of depression among postpartum women.

Translational psychiatry · 2021 · 443 cites

Sugemule-7 alleviates oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and cell death, promoting synaptic plasticity recovery in mice with postpartum depression.

Scientific reports · 2025 · 11 cites

Conventional and new immunotherapies for immune system dysregulation in postpartum mood disorders: comparisons to immune system dysregulations in bipolar disorder, major depression, and postpartum autoimmune thyroid disease.

Expert review of clinical immunology · 2025 · 9 cites
Recent publications

Sugemule-7 alleviates oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and cell death, promoting synaptic plasticity recovery in mice with postpartum depression.

Scientific reports · 2025 · 11 cites

Conventional and new immunotherapies for immune system dysregulation in postpartum mood disorders: comparisons to immune system dysregulations in bipolar disorder, major depression, and postpartum autoimmune thyroid disease.

Expert review of clinical immunology · 2025 · 9 cites

Mapping global prevalence of depression among postpartum women.

Translational psychiatry · 2021 · 443 cites

Accuracy of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for screening to detect major depression among pregnant and postpartum women: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data.

BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2020 · 532 cites
Major themes8
  • Depression, Postpartum3
  • Bipolar Disorder1
  • Depression1
  • Immunotherapy1
  • Major Depressive Disorder1
  • Mood Disorders1
  • Neuronal Plasticity1
  • Oxidative Stress1
Leading journals4
  • BMJ (Clinical research ed.)1
  • Expert review of clinical immunology1
  • Scientific reports1
  • Translational psychiatry1
Leading researchers8
  • Benedetti A1
  • Benedetti F1
  • Bergink V1
  • Cai Z1
  • Chen Y1
  • Cheng Y1
  • Drexhage HA1
  • Fu Q1
Affiliations (unnormalised)6
  • Center on Translational Neuroscience1
  • Centre for Prognosis Research1
  • Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital1
  • Chengkou People's Hospital1
  • College of Life and Environmental Sciences1
  • Department of Medical Laboratory1

Reference

Authoritative identity, definition & identifiers.

Defined in MeSH

Depression in POSTPARTUM WOMEN, usually within four weeks after giving birth (PARTURITION). The degree of depression ranges from mild transient depression to neurotic or psychotic depressive disorders. (From DSM-IV, p386)

Identifiers
MeSHDepression, Postpartum
References & data sources
  • Disease identity & definition — NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), public domain
  • Clinical trials — ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
  • Research activity — Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI) + OpenAlex-derived paper links
  • Related entities are derived from literature co-mention (studied together) — associative, not causal.