A new drug to treat schizophrenia has been developed by scientists and clinical trials are about to begin in Merthyr Tydfil. The potential treatment has been described as an "exciting leap forward" in the way schizophrenia is treated.
According to experts, schizophrenia is a poorly treated condition, so a potential treatment like this will have a major impact on patients suffering with the condition. It was designed by Cardiff University's Medicines Discovery Institute.
Schizophrenia is a mental health condition that causes a range of different symptoms. Some people may experience hallucinations, delusions, muddled thoughts and people may start to lose interest in every day interests, their personal hygiene and wanting to avoid their friends.
About one in 100 people will suffer an episode of schizophrenia in their lifetime. Cognitive decline is a core element of schizophrenia and current treatments don't treat this very effectively, according to researchers. The drug is designed to target specific receptors that play a key role in brain health.
Professor Simon Ward, Director of Cardiff University’s Medicines Discovery Institute, said: “We are immensely proud of the achievement of the Cardiff team. To take a compound from initial discovery through to clinical studies is the dream of many life science researchers.
“In the UK about 1 in 6 people will need treatment for mental ill health during their lifetime. Schizophrenia is a poorly treated condition and about 1 in 100 people will suffer an episode of schizophrenia. We hope that once trials are complete, our drug will help patients manage these episodes and offer a completely novel treatment for this poorly served community.
Developmental drugs go through several stages of clinical testing before they are available for patients, but we hope to have initiated an exciting leap forward in the way we will treat schizophrenia in the future.”
The clinical study will run in Merthyr Tydfil, at Simbec-Orion's MHRA Phase I Accredited Unit. Neuroimaging studies will take place in tandem at Cardiff University’s Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), and neurophysiological screening and monitoring will be provided by The Science Behind, a Cardiff-based Clinical Trial Research Service.
Professor Simon Ward added: “This project demonstrates that, by combining academic excellence with commercial organisations within the South Wales region, it is possible to translate scientific discoveries within university laboratories into the clinic, where they have the potential to transform the lives of patients.”
The research and clinical study have been funded by The Welcome Trust. Participants for the trial will be recruited directly through Simbec-Orion.
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