New drug for schizophrenics has experts excited

Experts expressed enthusiasm Friday after U.S. health regulators approved the first new treatment for schizophrenia in decades.

The drug, called Cobenfi, developed by US pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb, works differently from existing treatments in that it targets so-called cholinergic receptors rather than dopamine receptors.

“This drug represents the first new approach to treating schizophrenia in decades,” Tiffany Falchione, a senior official at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said in a statement Thursday.

“This approval provides a new alternative to the antipsychotic drugs traditionally prescribed to patients with schizophrenia,” she said.

Although schizophrenia affects only 1 percent of Americans, its effects can be devastating.

It can cause hallucinations, feelings of persecution, and difficulty controlling thoughts. Approximately 5 percent of people diagnosed with schizophrenia die by suicide.

Lindsay Bilsland, head of mental health at the Wellcome Charitable Foundation, said Cobenfi “could be a game-changer, especially for people for whom other drugs don’t work.”

She added: “This drug works completely differently to other schizophrenia drugs currently in use. It has the potential to change the lives of millions of people.”

Cobenfi (scientific name: “xanomeline and trospium chloride”) is taken orally.

Two clinical trials have confirmed its effectiveness and shown that it can significantly reduce symptoms in patients.

Side effects include nausea, vomiting, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, urinary retention, and liver damage.

But compared to current drugs, these side effects are “reduced”, said Matt Jones, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Bristol in the UK.

“This is clearly good news for people living with schizophrenia,” he said, noting the drug was not yet approved in the UK.

Sameer Jauhar, senior clinical lecturer in affective disorders and psychosis at King’s College, London, said side effects of current drugs, such as weight gain and feeling lethargic, could deter some people from continuing treatment. said.

He said he would like to see the results of long-term trials, but the positive results so far are “probably one of the most exciting developments in our field, and I’m very excited about this.” I quickly added.

© 2024 AFP