Adjunctive Minocycline in Clozapine Treated Schizophrenia Patients

Summary

Schizophrenia is a devastating and costly illness. One-third to one-half of people with schizophrenia do not respond to the most current drugs leaving clozapine as the best alternative for treatment. However, over 60% of people treated with clozapine continue to have persistent symptoms and cognitive impairments. Little data is available to support evidence-based recommendations to guide clinicians in treating these patients. Preliminary data has suggested that adjunct treatment with minocycline may offer robust symptom improvement in patients with schizophrenia, including those taking clozapine. Minocycline has had interesting effects; including suggesting it may have a significant role in treatment of neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Minocycline is currently available generically; its side effects are well-described and minimal. The proposed double-blind treatment study seeks to demonstrate that adjunctive minocycline offers patients superior efficacy for persistent positive symptoms, cognitive impairments, and/or other components of schizophrenia pathology. This knowledge could lead to the more effective treatment of patients with schizophrenia. The research itself may lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of positive symptoms and cognitive impairments, which could contribute to improved treatments in the future.

Timeline

Start

2011-07

Primary completion

2014-01

Completion

2014-01

Publications

• Kelly DL, Sullivan KM, McEvoy JP, McMahon RP, Wehring HJ, Gold JM, Liu F, Warfel D, Vyas G, Richardson CM, Fischer BA, Keller WR, Koola MM, Feldman SM, Russ JC, Keefe RS, Osing J, Hubzin L, August S, Walker TM, Buchanan RW. Adjunctive Minocycline in Clozapine-Treated Schizophrenia Patients With Persistent Symptoms. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2015 Aug;35(4):374-81. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000000345.

Drugs

Indications