A breakthrough treatment for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, with fewer side effects than existing therapies, has been approved for use in Canada. Zyprexa , researched and developed by Eli Lilly , is effective against all major symptoms of schizophrenia without causing the often crippling side effects caused by currently used treatments. The new medication is the latest important treatment for mental illness to be introduced by Eli Lilly , the company that discovered and manufactures the widely-used antidepressant Prozac . The clinical trials showed this medicine is effective against all major groups of symptoms of schizophrenia, yet it is safer to take than currently used drugs. Equally important, Zyprexa does not cause the devastating side effects that so often cause people with this disease to stop taking the most commonly used medications.
Schizophrenia is a biologically-based disease of the brain.
Contrary to popular myth, it is not a split personality but is characterized by a split from reality. One out of 10 people with schizophrenia commits suicide. Zyprexa is the first medication to be introduced with the clinical data showing that it is effective against all three types of symptoms. It is particularly important that these improved treatments are made available as soon as possible after diagnosis. The clinical evidence is clear that this type of early intervention can improve the prognosis, and change the course of the disease for the better.