Blood test for successful medication in patients with schizophrenia

• Grant number: 19/23040-4
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: July 01, 2021
• End date: June 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Licia Carla da Silva Costa
• Grantee: Licia Carla da Silva Costa
• Company: Licia Carla da Silva Costa
• CNAE: Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais ; Atividades de atenção à saúde humana não especificadas anteriormente
• City: Campinas
• Associated scholarship(s): 21/11188-7 - Implementation and optimization of lipidomic markers analysis method related to medication response, BP.TT; 21/05885-7 - Blood test for successful medication in patients with Schizophrenia, BP.PIPE; 21/06412-5 - Validation of potential lipid biomarkers, BP.TT

Abstract

Antipsychotics are the main treatment of schizophrenia. However, almost half of patients do not respond adequately to these drugs, and most individuals affected by the disease give up treatment due to the severe side effects. Consequently, mental functions become progressively worse, rendering patients unable to live in society permanently. We aim is to establish a commercially viable test that predicts the efficacy of response to antipsychotic treatment in patients with schizophrenia prior to the treatment. This test will allow a better choice of drug early in the treatment, which will lead to improvement of symptoms, reducing the debilitating span that the disease usually imposes, and contribute to reducing the severity of the disease. Such a product is non-existent in the market and we do not currently have competitors in this field, considering that the vast majority of studies of biomarkers in psychiatry focus on the diagnosis of this disorder. This product has the ability to offer an innovative solution to patients and their psychiatrists, allowing for a higher quality of life derived from successful prescriptions from the beginning. (AU)