Pentoxifylline Add-on Therapy for Schizophrenia

Summary

The etiology and pathogenesis of schizophrenia remain unclear. The immune dysfunction hypothesis for schizophrenia has attracted increasing attention from researchers, and substantial evidence suggested that the levels of TNF-α and other cytokines are markedly elevated in patients with schizophrenia. The investigators aim to evaluate the adjuvant therapeutic effect of Pentoxifylline, a TNF-α inhibitor that crosses the blood-brain barrier, in a randomized, double-blind, 6-week trial. Individuals with schizophrenia will receive either Pentoxifylline or a matching placebo as an add-on treatment to antipsychotic agents. Subjects' positive and negative symptoms and plasma concentration of neuroinflammatory markers will be monitored at baseline and every two weeks until the end of the trial.

Timeline

Start

2019-04-20

Primary completion

2022-04

Completion

2022-12

Drugs

Indications