New treatments being developed for schizophrenia

Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

It would appear that 2024 is shaping up to be a big year for the development of treatments for schizophrenia, with several clinical trials under way.

Recently, Boehringer Ingelheim and Sosei Group Corporation (Sosei Heptares) announced a global collaboration and exclusive option-to-license agreement. This is to develop and commercialize Sosei Heptares’ portfolio of first-in-class GPR52 agonists, a novel G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) target. The goal is to improve patient outcomes by addressing the positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.
Clíona MacSweeney, Sosei Heptares’ GPR52 program leader, spoke with us about that partnership, as well as other developments in the field of schizophrenia treatments.

00:57-03:44: What is schizophrenia?
03:44-04:52: What are the current schizophrenia treatments?
04:52-06:27: Why is schizophrenia challenging to treat?
06:27-07:34: Why is 2024 a big year for schizophrenia treatments?
07:34-08:56: Seratonin and dopamine modulation
08:56-10:46: How does muscarinic modulation work?
10:46-12:35: Excitatory and inhibitory tone pipeline
12:35-14:12: Digital therapeutic and epigenetic modulation
14:12-16:12: GPR52 agonists
16:12-17:53: How are GPR52 agonists different?
17:53-19:03: Are there lots of schizophrenia treatments coming?
19:03-20:10: Will some new schizophrenia treatments be used in conjunction with existing treatments?
20:10-20:49: Is a schizophrenia cure possible?
20:49-21:22: Treatment frequency
21:22-22:21: Where is Sosei Heptares with clinical trials for schizophrenia?
22:21-22:45: What else is in Sosei Heptares’ pipeline?
22:45-23:35: Sosei Heptares becoming Nxera
23:35-24:42: Schizophrenia conferences

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1. New treatments being developed for schizophrenia (00:00:00)

2. What is schizophrenia?
 (00:00:57)

3. What are the current schizophrenia treatments?
 (00:03:44)

4. Why is schizophrenia challenging to treat?
 (00:04:52)

5. Why is 2024 a big year for schizophrenia treatments?
 (00:06:27)

6. Seratonin and dopamine modulation
 (00:07:34)

7. How does muscarinic modulation work?
 (00:08:56)

8. Excitatory and inhibitory tone pipeline (00:10:46)

9. Digital therapeutic and epigenetic modulation
 (00:12:35)

10. What are GPR52 agonists? (00:14:12)

11. How are GPR52 agonists different? (00:16:12)

12. Are there lots of schizophrenia treatments coming?
 (00:17:53)

13. Will some new schizophrenia treatments be used in conjunction with existing treatments?
 (00:19:03)

14. Is a schizophrenia cure possible?
 (00:20:10)

15. What will the treatment frequency be? (00:20:49)

16. Where is Sosei Heptares with clinical trials for schizophrenia? (00:21:22)

17. What else is in Sosei Heptares’ pipeline?
 (00:22:21)

18. Sosei Heptares becoming Nxera (00:22:45)

19. Schizophrenia conferences (00:23:35)