The efficacy and safety of Zuranolone for treatment of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Rationale Zuranolone, a newly FDA-approved synthetic neurosteroid, shows promise in treating depression. Objectives Our aim is to evaluate Zuranolone's efficacy and safety in treating depression. Methods Five databases were searched until September 2023 for relevant randomized clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of zuranolone. The potential risk of bias in the included trials was evaluated by the Cochrane Risk of Bias II guideline Data were extracted and pooled using Review Manager Software (RevMan 5.3). Results An analysis of eight studies highlights Zuranolone's efficacy in treating depression compared to placebo across most of the outcomes. Notably, the 30mg and 50mg doses demonstrated significant improvements in reducing HAM-D scores by over 50% within a 15-day follow-up (RR) of 1.46 (95% CI [1.27, 1.68], p