CAMBRIDGE - Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAGE), a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing novel therapies with the potential to transform the lives of people with debilitating brain disorders, today reported interim, topline results from a July data cut of the ongoing Phase 3 open-label SHORELINE Study.

This clinical study was designed to naturalistically follow patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and evaluate the safety and tolerability of zuranolone 30 mg in adults for up to one year. In May 2020, the protocol was amended to include a 50 mg dose of zuranolone. For the primary endpoint of safety and tolerability, the data analyzed to date show that zuranolone was generally well-tolerated in the 30 mg dose and among the initial patients treated with the 50 mg dose. Adverse events reported in the trial during the period analyzed were generally consistent with results seen in previous clinical trials.

Secondary endpoints included response and remission as evaluated by the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) and the number of times a patient received retreatment. At the time of this analysis, patients with a clinical response (decrease in HAMD-17 baseline score of 50%) to the initial 14-day course of zuranolone 30 mg used a mean number of 1.9 treatments per year. As the first naturalistic, longitudinal, clinical development trial conducted in MDD, the SHORELINE Study provides real world insight into the potential use of zuranolone, if successfully developed and approved as an as-needed treatment for MDD, and builds on the data assembled in the LANDSCAPE clinical program. The Company plans to report comprehensive data from the 30 mg dose in the first half of 2021 and will include additional subsets of data within the primary and secondary endpoints. Select data will be reserved for presentation at medical and scientific conferences and in peer-reviewed journal articles.

'This data from the SHORELINE Study show that medically-oriented, as needed treatment for depression has the potential to be a compelling option for many patients diagnosed with MDD,' said Jeff Jonas, M.D., chief executive officer at Sage Therapeutics. 'Approximately 70% of patients who participated in the study only needed one or two treatment courses, a total of two to four weeks of treatment with zuranolone 30 mg, which we believe will be the minimally effective dose, if our development efforts are successful.'

About the SHORELINE Study

The SHORELINE Study (217-MDD-303) is a Phase 3, open-label, 1-year longitudinal study evaluating the safety, tolerability, and need for repeat dosing with zuranolone in adults with MDD. The study comprises two cohorts, one with zuranolone 30 mg as a starting dose and one with zuranolone 50 mg as a starting dose both administered once nightly for 14 days. The need for repeated dosing is assessed every 14 days based on the results of a patient-reported PHQ-9 (10) and HAMD-17 (20) assessment. There was a minimum of 56 days between zuranolone 14-day courses, to allow for a maximum of five treatments for the follow-up period.

About Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common but serious mood disorder in which people experience depressive symptoms that impair their social, occupational, educational or other important functioning, such as a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, consistently for at least a two-week period. It is estimated that approximately 17 million people in the U.S. suffer from MDD each year. While antidepressants are widely used to treat MDD, large-scale studies have demonstrated the need for additional therapies.

About Zuranolone

Zuranolone (SAGE-217) is a once-daily, two-week therapy in development for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and postpartum depression (PPD). Zuranolone is an investigational oral neuroactive steroid (NAS) GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulator (PAM). The GABA system is the major inhibitory signaling pathway of the brain and central nervous system and contributes significantly to regulating brain function. Zuranolone has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

About Sage Therapeutics

Sage Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing novel therapies with the potential to transform the lives of people with debilitating disorders of the brain. We are pursuing new pathways with the goal of improving brain health, and our depression, neurology and neuropsychiatry franchise programs aim to change how brain disorders are thought about and treated. Our mission is to make medicines that matter so people can get better, sooner.

Forward-Looking Statements

Various statements in this release concern Sage's future expectations, plans and prospects, including without limitation: our views and expectations regarding: our plans and expected timelines; our belief in the potential profile and benefit of zuranolone, and the potential for successful development and approval; our estimates as to the number of patients with MDD; the potential of our other product candidates, and the goals, opportunity and potential for our business. These statements constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our views only as of today, and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. We explicitly disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Jeff Boyle

Tel: 617-949-4256

Email: jeff.boyle@sagerx.com

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