Novartis launches schizophrenia treatment Fanapt in the US, offering patients an attractive alternative to existing medications

"Schizophrenia remains one of the most debilitating and difficult to treat mental illnesses. The launch of Fanapt is important because there is a need for alternative medications for many individuals who are suffering from this disease," said Ludwig Hantson, PhD, Head of Pharma North America, CEO, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.â "In clinical trials, Fanapt was shown to be effective for the symptoms of schizophrenia. Fanapt also showed a low incidence of certain side effects, and the percentage of patients who discontinued treatment was similar to that of placebo." Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe and disabling mental disorder, affecting 2.4 million Americans. People with schizophrenia have varying levels of response and tolerance to available therapies. Despite the severe symptoms of this disorder, as many as 74% of all patients discontinue their medication before completing 18 months of treatment, according to a major National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) study. Fanapt is indicated for the acute treatment of schizophrenia in adults. In clinical trials, treatment with Fanapt resulted in significant improvement in symptoms of schizophrenia compared to patients on placebo as demonstrated on two major scales for measuring the positive and negative symptoms of the disorder.