(RxWiki News) The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new treatment for teens with schizophrenia.
This new approval is for an antipsychotic under the name Latuda (lurasidone), which was already approved for adults. The FDA approved the medication to treat teens between the ages of 13 and 17 who have schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Those with schizophrenia may experience delusions and hallucinations.
This approval comes after a clinical trial in which adolescents given lurasidone saw an improvement in schizophrenia symptoms when compared to those who were given a placebo.
Although a typical side effect of many antipsychotics is weight gain, the teens who received lurasidone did not see much weight gain, according to Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures Latuda.
Common side effects of lurasidone include tiredness, nausea, restlessness, and muscle stiffness or tremor.
This medication carries a boxed warning regarding an increased risk of death in elderly people who have dementia-related psychosis and take a medication like lurasidone. The warning also notes an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions tied to medications like lurasidone.
