Conditions: Schizophrenia Schizoaffective
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 3
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to determine the tolerability of the medication cysteamine bitartrate on schizophrenia patients and to evaluate the effect of the medication on the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Detailed description:
Despite the availability of numerous antipsychotics, the treatment of schizophrenia is very unsatisfactory. Many patients have persistent positive psychotic symptoms or negative symptoms despite treatment, and any improvement in cognitive function is small. New approaches to the pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia that are not based primarily on dopaminergic blockade are needed.

The rationale for a trial of cysteamine comes from the evidence that cysteamine increases brain concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

We will conduct an open-label study of tolerability and efficacy of cysteamine as an adjunct to second-generation antipsychotics in schizophrenia and schizoaffective subjects with partially responsive symptoms.

Our objectives are to determine the safety and tolerability of cysteamine administered as an adjunct to second-generation antipsychotic drugs in adult outpatients with partially-responsive schizophrenia. Additionally, we are evaluating the effect of cysteamine on the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia as measured by changes in the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), and on cognitive impairment as measured by the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS).

Arms:
arm 1: We are examining the safety and efficacy of this medication on the treatment of schizophrenia patients.

Interventions: intervention 1: (Cystagon) Cysteamine Bitartrate
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Cysteamine Bitartrate 300mg/day to 2100mg/day over a 4 month period. Number of cycles: until progression or unacceptable toxicity develops.

Protocol document: