FDA approves drug with new mechanism of action for treatment of schizophrenia

Cobenfy (xanomeline and trospium chloride; formerly known as KarXT) is the first antipsychotic drug approved to treat schizophrenia in adults that targets cholinergic receptors as opposed to dopamine receptors, which has long been the standard of care. Efficacy was evaluated in two phase 3 randomized trials, EMERGENT-2 and EMERGENT-3. In both studies, Cobenfy recipients experienced a meaningful reduction in symptoms from baseline to week 5 as measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Total Score, compared with placebo.