Sage Therapeutics shares soar after postpartum depression drug meets main goal

• Sage Therapeutics says its drug to treat moderate and severe postpartum depression met the main goal in two late-stage studies.
• It says brexanolone achieved lower rates of depression in patients compared with a placebo in both trials.

Jeff Jonas, CEO of Sage Therapeutics.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Sage Therapeutics said Thursday its drug to treat moderate and severe postpartum depression met the main goal in two late-stage studies.

The stock soared as much as 50 percent in premarket on Thursday.

The drug, brexanolone, achieved lower rates of depression in patients compared with a placebo in both trials.

Postpartum depression is a common complication of childbirth that affects about 10 to 20 percent of women giving birth in the United States, the company said.

—CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace Jr. contributed to this report.