Time to Re-evaluate Clozapine Use for Improved Schizophrenia Outcomes

The gold standard treatment for schizophrenia has been available since the 1960s but, other than in China, it is rarely used. Given its superiority over other treatments and the improvements those on it demonstrate, it is time for governments to rethink its use. It has the potential to improve lives and to reduce the costs associated with chronic schizophrenia.

Clozapine (clozaril) was introduced in the early 1960s by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Sandoz (now Novartis) as a treatment that avoided many of the side effects of the drugs then in use. Unfortunately, it was quickly withdrawn when a rare blood disorder called agranulocytosis was discovered. This is a condition that represses the white blood cells leaving the person open to infections. The incidence of this condition is only 1-2% and it can be prevented by ensuring (as is done now) that everyone on clozapine have regular blood tests.

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??? Cloz, Hal and Stel are used more than half the time at the state hospital up the road from me. (They are, however, uncommon in non-institutional use now.) Agranulocytosis or no agranulocytosis, the stuff gets it done when nothing else will with the nurse and tech stalkers.