US approves schizophrenia drug with new mode of action
By 
Anthony King2024-10-03T10:19:00
Cobenfy promises to better address negative symptoms than existing antipsychotics
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a drug for schizophrenia that is exciting the field with an entirely new mechanism. The twice daily oral pill, Cobenfy, is the first to target cholinergic receptors rather than dopamine receptors.
Cobenfy combines xanomeline and trospium and was shown in two phase 3 trials (Emergent-2 and Emergent-3) to be safe and effective in adults with schizophrenia. The drug was obtained by Bristol Myers Squibb when it bought Karuna Therapeutics for $14 billion (£11 billion) in 2023 to strengthen its neuroscience portfolio.