Neuronetics said it’s enrolled 5 patients in an open-label trial of its transcranial magnetic stimulation device for treating postpartum depression.
The Malvern, Pa.-based medical device company makes the NeuroStar TMS device, designed to use a focused magnetic field to stimulate brain cells to treat depression.
The FDA cleared the 37-minute outpatient procedure for patients with depression who have not responded to a traditional drug regime.
Now Neuronetics hopes to expand that indication to include postpartum depression, a condition that affects 1 in 7 mothers and is the most frequent birth-related health complication, according to a press release.
"The initiation of this new study trial will allow us to evaluate the use of NeuroStar TMS as a possible non-invasive, non-drug treatment option for women who experience postpartum depression," lead investigator Dr. Howard Weeks said in prepared remarks.
The company won CE Mark approval in the European Union for the NeuroStar to treat major depressive disorder in 2012 and showed clinically meaningful remission in a study published last month.