There are many diseases that are difficult to treat. But if "diseases of the body" can still be seen, then with "diseases of the soul" it is much more difficult. Drugs for the treatment of mental disorders, of course, exist, but often have a lot of contraindications and side effects. But recently, scientists from the Research Institute of Pharmacology in the city of Tomsk have developed a plant-based drug for the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychoneurotic disorders.
The opening was announced by the press service of innovative organizations of the Tomsk region. The drug itself is made from a plant of the genus penny, which makes it safer than existing synthetic antipsychotics (the main drugs for the treatment of mental disorders today). According to Yulia Fedorova, a researcher at the Laboratory of the Research Institute of Pharmacology, “The active substance is isolated from a plant of the genus penny, growing in Siberia. Like well-known antipsychotics, our drug acts on dopamine receptors, but, unlike them, does not cause depression of the nervous system, which leads to apathy, decreased mental activity and drowsiness in patients."
Work on the drug has been underway since 2008. The developers are now planning to begin full-scale clinical trials of the drug. Scientists plan that it will become an effective new treatment for schizophrenia and other psychoneurotic conditions. The main advantage of the drug is the almost complete absence of side effects. But to find out the full effect on the human body, it is still necessary to conduct a series of tests.
Vladimir Kuznetsov
