2024-09-27 18:14:00
A new drug has been approved to treat schizophrenia
This drug (xanomeline / trospium chloride) can give patients what they have been longing for: a way to get rid of the hallucinations that ruin their lives without the weight gain and reduction of current dopamine-focused drugs.
The drug affects dopamine, but indirectly through so-called cholinergic receptors, changing the activity of another neurotransmitter, acetylcholine.
Almost all existing drugs for schizophrenia work to control symptoms by blocking dopamine receptors in brain cells, but people who take the drug have complained for decades of weight gain, lack of motivation and lethargy as the side effects, and it is common to stop taking medications.
The brand name of the drug is Cobenfy and it is manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb. The drug was tested in two five-week trials that were “double-blind”: neither the patients nor those who distributed the drugs knew whether the patient was receiving Cobenfy or a placebo. Patient outcomes were measured on a 30-item scale measuring schizophrenia symptoms. In both studies, participants receiving Cobenfy experienced a significant reduction in symptoms from baseline to week 5,” as confirmed by the FDA.
Side effects are mainly gastrointestinal, such as nausea, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting. Increased heart rate and acid reflux may also occur. Because of the risk of liver damage, Cobenfy is not recommended for use in people whose liver is already damaged.
Bristol Myers Squibb has said that it has conducted individual case studies of people who took Cobenfy for a year, which showed that they did not develop metabolic changes or any signs of movement disorder. The company said it plans to publish those results by the end of 2024.
The only problem with the drug Cobenfy is that it will not be cheap: Bristol Myers Squibb says that the drug will cost 68,450 bolivars ($1,850) and will be enough for one month’s treatment..
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