America's FDA Approves First New Drug for Schizophrenia in Over 30 Years

Thursday America's Food and Drug Administration approved Cobenfy, "the first new drug to treat people with schizophrenia in more than 30 years," reports ABC News: Most schizophrenia medications, broadly known as antipsychotics, work by changing dopamine levels, a brain chemical that affects mood, motivation, and thinking [according to Jelena Kunovac, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the Department of Psychiatry]. Cobenfy takes a different approach by adjusting acetylcholine, another brain chemical that aids memory, learning and attention, she said. By focusing on acetylcholine instead of dopamine, Cobenfy may reduce schizophrenia symptoms while avoiding common side effects like weight gain, drowsiness and movement disorders, clinical trials suggest. These side effects often become so severe and unpleasant that, in some studies mirroring real-world challenges, many patients stopped treatment within 18 months of starting it.

In clinical trials, only 6% of patients stopped taking Cobenfy due to side effects, noted Dr. Samit Hirawat, chief medical officer at Bristol Myers Squibb. "That's a significant improvement over the 20-30% seen with older antipsychotic drugs," he added...

Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder that affects about 24 million people worldwide, or roughly one in 300 people, according to the World Health Organization.
"Studies for additional therapeutic uses, including the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and bipolar disorder, are also underway."

Schizophrenia drugs amaze me

[Baron_Yam]

How a drug can control symptoms that very much appear to be a failure of hemisphere coordination, I don't know. But it's nice for schizophrenics to have another option to try that might not leave them like zombies.

And as a member of the public, I really like NOT having people around who can't tell the difference between reality and their imaginations. I know the vast majority of them aren't dangerous... but I can't tell from simple short term observation so people with weird ticks talking to themselves scare the crap out of me (unless it's obviously Tourette's). I've had a couple of experiences with afflicted individuals that were not of the benign variety.

News for Nerd

[Robert1]

Stuff that matters?

Re:

[quonset]

There is a fine line between genius and insanity.

Price

[paxmees]

The list price is about 22 500$ a year. And it is taken twice a day.

Re:

[Morpeth]

That's a lot, BUT, the public cost for someone with uncontrolled schizophrenia can be much higher -- homelessness, crime (or being a victim of crime) and potential incarceration sadly, time in courts, social service involvement, lost work and productivity (many with the disorder can indeed work). I'm not dismissing that it's not cheap, but IF it works and alleviates a lot of other issues, it's actually cheaper.

Re:

[ArchieBunker]

Don’t worry. You’ll be able to fill the prescription in Canada or Mexico for $19.95.

Are you feeling OK?

[theshowmecanuck]

You sound like the kind of guy who could end up suffering from neurosyphilis related psychosis and paranoia so bad you could actually buy into retarded conspiracy theories, just from being too stupid to get treated with approved drugs and medicine. Hey, wait a minute, are you actually ... ?

I Have to Admit

[theshowmecanuck]

I'm of two minds about this.