Schizophrenia Daily News Blog

Pfizer Working on New Schizophrenia Drugs

Bloomberg.com is reporting today that Pfizer is busy working on some improved schizophrenia drugs. Given the increasing number of studies that are suggesting that the current schizophrenia medications are no better than the drugs that were available 25 years ago - we certainly hope they are successful. Only time will tell.

The story notes:

"Researchers at Pfizer are using insights into Viagra to design experimental drugs that may improve on Zyprexa, the best - selling schizophrenia remedy from Eli Lilly & Co., with $4.2 billion in sales last year. Viagra causes an erection by turning off an enzyme in the body. Blocking similar chemicals in the brain may silence the hallucinations typical of schizophrenia, the researchers say.

...Researchers say the new Viagra-like compounds will be developed only if shown in human tests to be safer and more effective than existing drugs.

"We believe this drug is going to be different," says Frank Menniti, a scientist at Pfizer's Groton, Connecticut, labs. "Our job isn't just to make another anti-psychotic. We need to make a better anti-psychotic than what is out there."

Read the full story here: Viagra's Enzyme Action May Give Pfizer Schizophrenia Advance

Thanks to David B. for pointing us towards this story.