Schizophrenia Stalked by Schoepp

The New York Times reports on a new drug for schizophrenia developed by Darryle D. Schoepp at Eli Lilly & Company in Indy. In a change from traditional treaments, this drug focuses not on dopamine but instead on the effects of glutamate, another powerful neurotransmitter.

"Schizophrenia is notoriously difficult to treat, and Lilly’s drug — known only as LY2140023 — relied on a promising but unproved theory about how to combat the disorder," the article reports. "For 50 years, all medicines for the disease had worked the same way — until Dr. Schoepp and other scientists took a different path."

Lilly, reports The Times, continues to develop LY2140023 and has begun a trial of 870 patients that is scheduled to be completed in January 2009.