New antipsychotic drugs no better than old ones, but much more expensive

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Main Category: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 21 Sep 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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An American study looking at four atypical antipsychotic drugs, the new generation drugs for schizophrenia, has found that they are not better than the old ones, and cost a great deal more - about three to ten times more. Three quarters of trial participants stopped taking the new medication because of side effects. The trial compared four new generation (atypical antipsychotics) with perphenazine (an old drug).

These new generation drugs account for 90% of the market for antipsychotics in the USA today. Sales are estimated to be nearly ten billion dollars per year.

All the new drugs, as well as the old one, reduced the symptoms of schizophrenia at similar levels. But the new ones had unpleasant side effects. Zyprexa had slightly better antipsychotic results, it is also the most expensive - but its side effects are dramatic weight gain and a higher risk of developing diabetes.

The study will be published in this week's edition of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Editor - Medical News Today


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