Over the last two decades, Reddy has conducted extensive research to develop a new treatment method that makes use of the body's natural chemistry to treat brain diseases. He coined this term "neurosteroid replacement therapy" to reflect the methodology of other, more-familiar types of replacement therapies, such as insulin replacement therapy or hormone replacement therapy. His most recent work applying this approach to postpartum depression is outlined in a paper recently published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology.

Neurosteroids are steroids synthesized within the brain that have important regulatory effects on the brain's function. One specific neurosteroid, allopregnanolone, is produced in increasing amounts during pregnancy. However, after childbirth, the neurosteroid levels drop, leading to chemical imbalances in the brain that can cause postpartum depression. Enter what could be one of the most groundbreaking discoveries in women's health: the formulation of allopregnanolone, in injection form, for treatment of postpartum depression. This medication, which was then renamed as brexanalone, was approved in 2019 as the first drug for postpartum depression.

How does the medication work?

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