Schizophrenia Treatment: Caplyta

Currently, there is no cure for schizophrenia, only treatments to reduce and mitigate its effects. If employed early and continuously, treatments can help control the effects of the disorder. One of the more recent treatments to be approved by the FDA for schizophrenia is Caplyta (aka lumateperone). This treatment is an antipsychotic medication, drugs used to manage the effects of psychosis, with the most common side effects being sleepiness and dry mouth.

Caplyta works by affecting neurotransmitters, molecules that aid communication between neurons, such as dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate. Schizophrenia is thought to be caused in part by issues with neurotransmitters which Caplyta works to solve. Studies have shown that the imbalance of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate may be the cause of schizophrenia, and by balancing them, the symptoms affecting moods, thoughts, and behaviors are reduced.

Caplyta is a novel treatment method in that it regulates dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate levels with a single drug. This reduces the number of drugs people need to take and has the effect of more thoroughly treating the symptoms of schizophrenia.