Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that requires medical intervention to help those who suffer from it live independent, functional lives. A variety of pharmaceutical treatments have been used in the decades since schizophrenia was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), but many have come with serious and often debilitating side effects that make adherence difficult. Fortunately, a new development in schizophrenia treatment shows immense promise, offering more targeted relief for symptoms without unwanted side effects.
Common side effects of medication for schizophrenia
The first generation of drugs used to treat schizophrenia caused movement impairments, including tremors, joint stiffness, and coordination problems. While second-generation drugs were less likely to cause these particular side effects, they introduced others, including weight gain and high blood sugar. Current treatments can also lead to drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, constipation, low blood pressure, and even seizures. More importantly, existing medications only address one group of schizophrenia symptoms—”positive,” or present symptoms—but not “negative” symptoms, a discrepancy now addressed by the newest medication on trial, called SEP-363856.
“Positive” and “negative” symptoms of schizophrenia
There are two groups of symptoms among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Positive symptoms are symptoms that are “present” including:
- Hallucinations (auditory, visual, olfactory or tactile)
- Delusions (persecution-related, religious, or grandiose)
- Confused thoughts
- Disorganized speech
- Trouble concentrating
- Movement disorders (jumpiness or repetitive movements)
Negative symptoms refer to an absence or loss of feelings or functions, including:
- Lack of pleasure
- Trouble with speech
- Flattened emotions
- Social withdrawal
- Struggles with independent living
While existing medications work well against positive symptoms in about 70% of patients, they do not ease the negative symptoms. However, the new drug SEP-363856 has been shown to help patients manage both positive and negative symptoms, while avoiding the standard side effects of other medications for schizophrenia.
How SEP-363856 works differently
According to findings published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine, SEP-363856 is different from existing antipsychotic drugs that work by blocking the D2 receptor on brain cells. Those medications lessen symptoms of psychosis but also lead to undesirable side effects. SEP-363856, on the other hand, stimulates a different receptor, TAAR1, which helps modulate the transmission of dopamine. While the drug is still in the experimental phase, early results are promising—of the 120 patients in the initial trial who received the drug instead of the placebo, 65% showed effective responses by the fourth week. When the trial was extended for a further six months for all participants, continual improvement was noted on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), along with minimal effects on weight and other metabolic parameters.
A larger trial of the drug is still underway, but once it is approved and distributed, psychiatrists are hopeful it will help patients with schizophrenia who fail to respond to standard antipsychotic drug options.
Schizophrenia research studies in San Diego
Although there is currently no cure for schizophrenia, medical science continues to find new and better ways to effectively manage symptoms. Synergy Research Centers is currently accepting participants in clinical trials for new treatments for schizophrenia in San Diego, so if you or someone you love is interested in ushering in the next generation of schizophrenia treatment, fill out our contact form or call us at 1-888-539-0282.