Scientists say new schizophrenia drug could 'change the lives of millions of people'

Scientists have said a new schizophrenia drug "has the potential to change the lives of millions of people".

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the new drug Cobenfy, which is owned by pharmaceutical firm Bristol Myers Squibb.

The new drug officers a completely new approach to treating the condition, which can cause terrifying hallucinations, delusional thoughts and social withdrawal.

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

The University of Oxford has said it will start a trial on the compound next year - but the drug is already being hailed by UK scientists.

Dr Lynsey Bilsland, head of mental health translation at Wellcome in the UK, which funded early studies into Cobenfy, said: "It works in a completely different way from any other currently used schizophrenia drugs."

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

"Schizophrenia is commonly treated with antipsychotics."

"While these can be effective in managing symptoms like hallucinations and delusions, they do not address 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 sleepiness and weight gain and therefore could be game-changing, especially for those for whom other drugs do not work."

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

"Cobenfy is an outstanding example of how science can drive forward more effective mental health treatments in our lifetimes."

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 novel target for 70 years."

"Current treatments are ineffective for many of the symptoms of schizophrenia we need compounds with novel mechanisms of action."

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

"We hope this may mean it can help people who don't respond to standard treatments."

"We will be running the first UK trial of this compound in Oxford, starting in 2025."

Dr Sameer Jauhar, senior clinical lecturer in affective disorders and psychosis, and consultant psychiatrist at King's College, London and the Maudsley NHS foundation trust, said: "This novel treatment is the first of its kind, which does not act directly on the dopamine system, with good phase three trial data.

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

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

Schizophrenia is a severe, long-term mental health condition that affects about one in 300 people across the globe.