New medicine approved to treat schizophrenia

Washington: The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for adults with schizophrenia.

The drug, commonly known as Cobenfy, is the first drug to treat the disease that targets the brain's cholinergic receptors, rather than the dopamine receptors that are the traditional focus of treatment.

“Schizophrenia is the leading cause of disability worldwide,” said Dr. Tiffany Farshion in the Institute's Department of Neuroscience.

He stated the drug represents the first new approach to treating schizophrenia. It offers a new alternative to the antipsychotic drugs that have previously been prescribed to people with schizophrenia.

It is pertinent to note that schizophrenia is a severe, chronic mental illness that often impairs a person's quality of life.