A new drug has been approved by Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2024 for schizophrenia, called the Cobenfy. As per the Yale Medicines of the Yale University, it is the first treatment for disease to use a new mechanism to ease symptoms of schizophrenia like hearing voices and hallucinations, without debilitating side effects.As per the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, it combines two compounds called xanomeline and trospium chloride. This is the first-ever drug approved for schizophrenia that does not target the D2 dopamine receptor in brain cells.So, how does it work?Xanomeline works by targeting two specific receptors in brain cells, M1 and M4, which are part of the muscarinic acetylcholine system. Trospium chloride helps by blocking xanomeline from interacting with receptors in the peripheral nervous system (outside the brain and spinal cord), reducing the risk of side effects that could occur if these receptors were activated.How was the drug approved?The drug was approved for treating schizophrenia in adults following two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials conducted in 2024. Both trials lasted five weeks and involved over 500 participants with acute schizophrenia, all of whom had been hospitalized. Those who received the drug showed significant improvements in both positive and negative symptoms, compared to those given a placebo. While first- and second-generation antipsychotics are effective in addressing positive symptoms like hallucinations and delusions, they have limited impact on negative symptoms such as flat affect, low motivation, and social withdrawal.How is it different from previous antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia?As per Yale Medicines, antipsychotic drugs targeted dopamine and were given to patients in form of pills, liquids, and injections since 1950s, however, Cobenfy is the first to target brain receptors.While researchers are yet to understand Cobenfy's exact mechanism, its efficacy is thought to be due to the agonist activity of xanomeline or muscarinic receptors in the central nervous system. These receptors have a variety of functions in the body, including the relaying of neurotransmitter signals among cells, and they have a connection with cognition. In people with schizophrenia, they may effect the release of dopamine states Yale Medicine.So Are There No Side Effects?FDA approved the drug on the basis of two studies with 252 participants. In a Lancet study it was revealed that the drug had a "significant" impact on some of the most difficult symptoms of schizophrenia. As far as side effects are concern, there are simple side effects like nausea, indigestion, constipation, vomiting, hypertension, and gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD). The company has also reported for a risk of liver damage. How well does it work on those with schizophrenia?Experts point out that people with schizophrenia have a cycle of discontinuing and switching therapies. Thus it is important to have an open conversation about it. It is also important to understand that medication is just a part of the therapy and not the full treatment of the disorder. What Is Schizophrenia?It is a serious mental condition that involves a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behaviour, leading to faulty perception, actions, feelings, and withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion.