No effective drug for Schizophrenia: Study

No effective drug for Schizophrenia: Study
NEW YORK - A new study has found that older drugs used to treat schizophrenia are as effective as modern ones even though the latter are costlier than the former.

The only modern drug that performed better than its older generic counterparts was Eli Lilly and Co.'s Zyprexa (olanzapine). Even this drug was found to cause major weight gain and increase the risk of developing diabetes.

The study, which was financed by the National Institute of Mental Health, concluded that there were some strict limitations in the effectiveness of these drugs. Columbia University Medical School's Jeffrey Lieberman, who led the team of researchers said "Probably the biggest surprise of all was that the older medication produced about as good an effect as the newer medications, three of them anyway, and did not produce neurological side effects at greater rates than any of the other drugs."

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The researchers recruited 1,493 people suffering from schizophrenia and instituted a regime consisting of either of the following drugs; Risperdal (Johnson & Johnson); Seroquel (AstraZeneca); Geodon from (Pfizer); Zyprexa; and an older generic drug, perphenazine.

The researchers then tabulated their findings at the end of 18 months. They found that 64 percent of people who were given Zyprexa had stopped taking the drug, while 74 percent of the remaining people had stopped taking their prescribed medicines. The common reasons were that the drug was ineffective and that it caused weight gain or sleepiness. Neurological symptoms like stiffness or tremors were also cited as reasons for quitting and it is this area that has concerned doctors the most. The cost of these drugs is also a factor.DrugStore.com says that a month's supply of perphenazine is available for $60, while it is $520 for Zyprexa, $450 for Seroquel, $250 for Risperdal and $290 for Geodon.

Among the five drugs, Zyprexa emerged a clear winner as it was found that patients taking it were less likely to be hospitalized due to worsening condition. However, weight gain remains a major problem with the drug. Dr. Robert W. Baker, medical director for U.S. neurosciences for Indianapolis-based Lilly was quietly confident about overcoming this hurdle, "We are understandably pleased to see Zyprexa coming out on top in all these measures of effectiveness," he said.
But even if this study ends up boosting Zyprexa's sales, it is clear that no drug can claim to be an elixir for schizophrenia, "The medicines didn't completely alleviate symptoms or enable the majority of the patients to experience a complete recovery," concluded Lieberman. The study was released yesterday and will be published in today's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.