New schizophrenia drug: 8,000 shekels per pack
The new schizophrenia drug Cobenfy costs 8,000 shekels per pack and awaits inclusion in the state health basket. Approved by the FDA, it works through a novel mechanism and promises fewer side effects, but remains inaccessible to most patients.
The new schizophrenia drug Cobenfy (by Bristol Myers Squibb) costs 8,000 shekels per pack and has not yet been included in the state health basket. Approved by the FDA in September 2024, it represents the first breakthrough in decades: it acts on muscarinic receptors rather than dopamine receptors, avoiding many severe side effects of traditional antipsychotics. The Israeli Psychiatric Association ranked Cobenfy first on its list of recommendations for inclusion in the basket. However, the high price makes treatment unaffordable for most patients, many of whom live on disability benefits. The article features the story of a mother named Yoki, whose son suffers from schizophrenia and experiences severe side effects from current medications. Dr. Yoav Domany explains the drug's mechanism. Clinical trials involving 690 patients showed improvement after 5 weeks. Psychiatrists note that psychiatry in Israel receives only 6% of healthcare spending, while in developed countries this figure reaches 10–16%.