For the past 70 years, schizophrenia treatments all targeted the same chemical: dopamine. While that works for some, it causes brutal side effects for others. An antipsychotic drug approved last month by the FDA changes that. It triggers muscarinic receptors instead of dopamine receptors. The drug is the result of a chance scientific finding ... from a study that wasn't even focused on schizophrenia. Host Emily Kwong and NPR pharmaceutical correspondent Sydney Lupkin dive into where the drug originated, how it works and what it might shift for people with schizophrenia.
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Read more of Sydney's reporting.
Curious about other drug treatments in the news? Email us at shortwave@npr.org and we might cover your topic on a future episode!
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
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