Magnus Medical Announces First Patient Enrolled at University of Massachusetts in Pivotal DoD-Funded Multisite Study of SAINT for Postpartum Depression

$11.6M Department of Defense-supported pivotal study evaluates rapid, personalized, drug-free neuromodulation therapy for postpartum depression

BURLINGAME, Calif., Feb. 5, 2026 — Magnus Medical, Inc., a pioneering therapeutic  neuromodulation company advancing precision medicine in brain health, today  announced enrollment of the first patient at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical  School (UMass Chan), a leading academic health system, in its U.S. Department of  Defense (DoD)-funded, multi-center pivotal clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety  and effectiveness of SAINT® neuromodulation therapy for the treatment of postpartum  depression (PPD).  

The milestone marks the operational launch of the $11.6 million randomized controlled  trial (RCT), which will test whether SAINT, an FDA-cleared, non-invasive treatment for  major depressive disorder (MDD), can provide rapid, safe and durable symptom relief for  women experiencing depression following childbirth. SAINT was commercially launched  in April 2024 following clinical studies demonstrating rapid, robust symptom relief and  remission in people with treatment-resistant MDD.  

Unlike prior studies of SAINT therapy, this trial does not require prior antidepressant or  psychotherapy treatment failure. Eligible participants include women up to 12 months  postpartum with moderate to severe depression, including those receiving stable  antidepressant medication or psychotherapy. 

“The first patient enrolled at UMass Chan represents an important step forward in  translating precision neuromodulation to a population with urgent, unmet needs,” said  Brandon Bentzley, M.D. Ph.D., co-founder and chief scientific officer of Magnus Medical, who serves as the study’s principal investigator. “We are deeply honored by this support  from the Department of Defense, as postpartum depression is devastating, yet today’s  most commonly used treatments are often too slow or too burdensome for new  mothers. SAINT therapy has already shown the ability to rapidly lift depressive symptoms  without systemic side effects, offering hope for a safer, faster solution. 

“Importantly, this trial allows us to rigorously test SAINT as a non-drug intervention for  postpartum depression and to move closer to a future where mental health care is both  more precise and more effective,” continued Dr. Bentzley. “It also supports the DoD’s  mission to advance innovative therapies for vulnerable populations, including new  mothers in military families and beyond.”

Postpartum depression affects approximately 500,000 women in the U.S. annually, and  rates of PPD have increased substantially since 2000.¹ PPD can severely impact maternal  well-being and the early bonding period between mother and child. Current treatments,  including antidepressants and psychotherapy, are often slow to act and may not be  effective for all women. Antidepressants may also pass to the infant during  breastfeeding, causing many new mothers to be reluctant to take them.  

The trial is actively enrolling up to 192 women aged 18-45 years, all diagnosed with a  major depressive episode (MDE) with peripartum onset, the technical diagnosis for  postpartum depression. The study is being conducted at four leading research  institutions: the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin (Dell Med), the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and UMass Chan. Additional information regarding trial enrollment at the four leading  research institutions may be found at learn.magnusmedical.com/ppd-trial/.

This work is supported by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, endorsed  by the Department of Defense, in the amount of $11,619,193.00 through the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program under Award Number HT94252510222. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and are  not necessarily endorsed by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs or the  Department of Defense. 

About SAINT 

The SAINT neuromodulation platform is the first and only FDA-cleared treatment for  major depressive disorder (MDD) that uses functional MRI data to guide personalized,  non-invasive neuromodulation over an accelerated five-day schedule, with stimulation  precisely targeted to brain regions identified through each person’s unique connectivity  patterns. SAINT has been designated a Breakthrough Device by the FDA and is the first  mental health therapy to receive innovation support from the Centers for Medicare &  Medicaid Services through the New Technology Add-on Payment (NTAP) and New  Technology Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) programs. Foundational studies  have shown that 79% of patients with major depression achieved remission in an  average of just 2.6 days. Clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate SAINT therapy for other  neuropsychiatric conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar  depression, and now postpartum depression. These indications have not been cleared  by the FDA. 

About Magnus Medical 

Magnus Medical, Inc., is a privately held therapeutic neuromodulation company co founded in 2020 to advance precision medicine in brain health. Its platform technology  combines neuroimaging, proprietary targeting algorithms and individualized neurostimulation to address complex brain conditions. Magnus’ first product, the SAINT  neuromodulation system, is FDA-cleared for adults with major depressive disorder.  Building on this foundation, the company is expanding the SAINT platform to explore  new indications and unlock more personalized approaches to brain health. For more  information, visit https://www.magnusmedical.com. 

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Media Contact:
Amy Cook
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amy.cook@magnusmedical.com

1 https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/abstract/2019/06000/recorded_diagnoses_of_depression_during_
delivery.20.aspx