The first direct comparison of five schizophrenia drugs found that most newer treatments are no better than an older generic drug, despite their higher cost, a U.S. study released on Monday showed according to Reuters. The lone exception, Eli Lilly and Co.'s Zyprexa, may be better than the other medicines but users experienced dramatic weight gain and developed a higher risk of diabetes, the new study concluded. The drug is also the most expensive. The $44 million study, financed by the National Institute of Mental Health and to be published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, indicates "substantial limitations in the effectiveness of the drugs," said Columbia University Medical School's Jeffrey Lieberman, who led the team. But it should also help doctors choose the best therapy for the 3.2 million Americans suffering from schizophrenia, the tough-to-treat mental illness marked by delusions, hallucinations and scrambled thinking. Because the effectiveness of a drug can vary from person to person, side effects can force patients to stop taking them or can cause doctors to switch between medicines and alter dosages to find the best, most tolerable treatment. The new study is the "largest, longest and most comprehensive" assessment of anti-psychotic medicines ever conducted, said the institute's director, Dr. Thomas Insel. --more 2341 Local Time 2041 GMT
