A new medication, now in phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of schizophrenia, is showing great promise, according to its manufacturer and developer, Intra-Cellular Therapies Inc., as presented at the end of March at the 15th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research (ICOSR) in Colorado Springs and this week at the 4th Biennial Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) Conference in Florence, Italy.

“This drug has a different pharmacological profile than any of the other antipsychotics. We believe the unique serotonergic-dopaminergic-glutamatergic pharmacological profile represents a new approach to the treatment of schizophrenia in a single stand-alone therapy.”

According to Intra-Cellular Therapies:

“Our lead product candidate, ITI-007, possesses a mechanism of action targeting multiple brain systems and may allow a physician to fine tune the drug’s action in the brain by simple dose adjustments. At the lowest doses, ITI-007 has been demonstrated to act primarily as a potent 5-HT2A serotonin receptor antagonist. As the dose is increased, additional benefits are derived from the engagement of additional drug targets, including modest dopamine receptor modulation and modest inhibition of serotonin transporters. We believe that combined interactions at these receptors may provide additional benefits above and beyond selective 5-HT2A antagonism for treating agitation, aggression and sleep disturbances in diseases that include dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and autism spectrum disorders, while avoiding many of the side effects associated with more robust dopamine receptor antagonism. As the dose of ITI-007 is further increased, leading to moderate dopamine receptor modulation, inhibition of serotonin transporters, and indirect glutamate modulation, these actions complement the complete blockade of 5-HT2A serotonin receptors. In this dose range, we believe that ITI-007 will be useful in treating the symptoms associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and other neuropsychiatric diseases.”