FDA approves of a new schizophrenia drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for adults with schizophrenia, the FDA announced Thursday.

The drug, generically called Cobenfy, is the first oral medication to treat the disease that targets what are known as the brain’s cholinergic receptors instead of dopamine receptors, which have been the traditional focus of treatment.

“Schizophrenia is a leading cause of disability worldwide. It is a severe, chronic mental illness that is often damaging to a person’s quality of life,” said Tiffany Farchione, M.D., director of the Division of Psychiatry, Office of Neuroscience in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This drug takes the first new approach to schizophrenia treatment in decades. This approval offers a new alternative to the antipsychotic medications people with schizophrenia have previously been prescribed.”

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by disrupted thought processes, and can alter perceptions, emotions and social interactions. It can also cause more severe psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations (such as hearing voices), difficulty controlling thoughts and being suspicious of other people, the FDA said.

Roughly 1% of the U.S. population suffers from schizophrenia. 5% of those afflicted die by suicide, according to the FDA. It is considered one of the 15 causes of disability and people who have the disease are more likely to die at a young age.

The drug announcement comes on the heels of news that scientists are using a type of MRI to help determine who might develop treatment-resistant schizophrenia.

The scan — called a neuromelanin-sensitive MRI — focuses on a brain pigment called neuromelanin, which can provide evidence of healthy dopamine function and help predict whether patients will respond to treatment.

Scientists say consistent sleep is important for everyone, but is especially so for people who suffer from schizophrenia.