No new treatments for #schizophrenia have been approved in nearly three decades, but that changed on Sept. 26, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved #Cobenfy for the psychiatric disorder.
Developed by Karuna Therapeutics, which was subsequently acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb, the drug works in an entirely different way from existing medications for schizophrenia.
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While schizophrenia treatments primarily target the dopamine neurotransmitter system in the brain, Cobenfy goes after the cholinergic system, through muscarinic receptors.
Decades ago, scientists at Eli Lilly had studied the muscarinic system as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, since manipulating it seemed to reduce some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s-related psychosis. A compound they developed to activate the system also improved symptoms of schizophrenia.
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In a study the company published last December in the journal Lancet, the researchers reported that Cobenfy (then called KarXT) helped to significantly reduce symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, social withdrawal, and a loss of motivation compared to a placebo.
https://time.com/7024352/fda-approves-new-schizophrenia-drug-cobenfy/