FDA approves new schizophrenia drug described as a potential “game changer.”

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Changes are coming to the way schizophrenia is treated. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new drug called Cobenfy, which represents a fundamentally new approach to treating schizophrenia.

According to the World Health Organization, schizophrenia affects around 24 million people worldwide and is often difficult to diagnose and treat.

For decades, drugs used to treat psychosis have targeted the same chemical that helps the brain communicate with the rest of the body: dopamine.

The new drug Cobenfy is the first new psychosis drug that doesn't act on dopamine, which psychiatrists in Fargo say could be a game-changer.

“The great thing about this drug is that it has the least side effects in terms of metabolic symptoms, weight gain and also movement problems. The big selling point is that it can potentially help with negative symptoms, which is a very big deal,” said Dr. Jonathon Olivas of Sanford Health.

In clinical trials, Cobenfy helped treat symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking with fewer side effects than the older types of antipsychotics used to treat the disease today.

“None of the other antipsychotics have been able to do this before, which is why this is such a big win,” Olivas added.

Still in its very early stages, experts say the drug should hit the market and be available to patients by mid-October this year.

For more information, visit the FDA Cobenfy website.

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