Study: Generic schizophrenia drug equally effective

A landmark NIH study of schizophrenia drugs is out this week, with some surprising findings on several medicines commonly used to treat mental illness. The government-backed research found that the older generic anti-psychotic perphenazine performs as well as newer (and far more expensive) brand name drugs like Johnson & Johnson's Risperdal, AstraZeneca PLC's Seroquel and Pfizer Inc.'s Geodon. Eli Lilly and Co.'s Zyprexa did better than other new drugs, but fears about the medicine's tendency to promote severe weight gain were confirmed. Patients on Zyprexa gained on average 2 pounds a month over the course of the trial. Observers are unsure if the findings will change prescription patterns by psychiatrists, as the older class of drugs has other drawbacks which have discouraged use. The study appears in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.

- see this story from The New York Times