For the first time in more than 30 years, there is a new option for antipsychotic treatment.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Cobenfy [Co-ben-feye] to treat schizophrenia without the side effect of weight gain. Often, weight gain leads to higher rates of cardiac disease and early death for those who rely on medication.
Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder that affects nearly 24 million people worldwide. Those who develop it can have difficulty navigating work, relationships, and much more.
For years, antipsychotic drugs have worked by blocking a dopamine receptor known to elicit feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. The medications reduce hallucinations and paranoia in schizophrenia patients.
The newly approved drug also influences dopamine levels, but it does so indirectly by changing levels of a brain chemical that aids memory, learning and attention. Researchers hope this new method will help address troubling side effects of traditional medications, such as lack of motivation and the inability to feel pleasure.
According to the FDA, Cobenfy’s most common side effects are nausea, indigestion, constipation, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, increased heart rate, and dizziness. In clinical trials, only 6 percent of participants stopped taking it due to side effects.
Three research studies have been published about the drug’s effectiveness, though each only lasted five weeks. That means there is much left to learn about any long-term neurological side effects.
However, for patients who have tried other medications unsuccessfully, the FDA’s approval might present a chance to try another tack.