New schizophrenia drug could 'change the lives of millions'

British scientists have welcomed the US approval of a new drug for schizophrenia, saying it has “the potential to transform the lives of millions of people”.

The “major advance” in treatment offers a completely new drug approach to treating the condition, which can cause terrifying hallucinations, delusions and social withdrawal.

On Friday night, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the new drug Cobenfy, which belongs to the pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb.

The FDA's approval was based on data from two studies that showed patients experienced fewer symptoms of schizophrenia.

The drug is the first approved antipsychotic to target receptors in the brain and body associated with the cholinergic neurotransmitter system, which plays a key role in learning and memory, digestion, control of heart rate, blood pressure, movement and other functions.

In the UK, the University of Oxford has announced it will begin a trial on the site next year.

Dr. Lynsey Bilsland, head of mental health translation at Wellcome in the UK, which funded early studies of Cobenfy, said: “It works completely differently to any other schizophrenia medication currently in use.”

“It has the potential to change the lives of millions of people.

“Schizophrenia is commonly treated with antipsychotics.

“While these can be effective in treating symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, they do not treat other life-limiting symptoms such as social withdrawal and memory problems.

“Cobenfy has the potential to address all of the above symptoms and also has fewer side effects such as drowsiness and weight gain and could therefore be a game-changer, particularly for those for whom other medications do not work.”

“Wellcome supports mental health research to drive change in early intervention for anxiety, depression and psychosis.

“Cobenfy is an outstanding example of how science can advance more effective mental health treatments within our lifetime.”

Dr. Robert McCutcheon, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, said: “This is a major advance – it is the first treatment for schizophrenia with a new target in 70 years.”

“Current treatments are ineffective for many symptoms of schizophrenia – we need active ingredients with novel mechanisms of action.”

“All other treatments work by targeting dopamine receptors. This is the first treatment that has a different goal.

“We hope this can help people who don’t respond to standard treatments.

“We will be running the first UK trial of this connection in Oxford from 2025.”

Dr. Sameer Jauhar, senior clinical lecturer in mood disorders and psychoses and consultant psychiatrist at King's College London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Schizophrenia can be a devastating illness for people and their families, and the impact on society is significant. “.

“We have effective treatments and pharmacological treatments form the basis of holistic care (including psychosocial interventions).

“Unfortunately, currently available antipsychotics have significant side effects, which include weight gain and exercise effects, and this may affect patient compliance with treatment.

“All currently approved antipsychotics exert effects on the dopamine system and have done so for at least 50 years.

“Despite major efforts in this area (with significant financial investment), phase three trials of newer compounds have so far been disappointing.

“This novel treatment is the first of its kind that does not act directly on the dopamine system and there are good data from phase III trials.

“In my opinion, as a clinician and researcher, this is potentially one of the most exciting developments in our field, and I am very excited about it.”

Schizophrenia is a serious, long-term mental illness that affects approximately one in 300 people worldwide.