21st July 2023

New schizophrenia research aims to improve treatment and quality of life of patients in Wales and beyond

Welsh researchers are carrying out a study into vital antibody testing for some schizophrenia patients, which they believe could lead to reduced pressure on hospitals and fewer inpatient stays.

Research funded by Health and Care Research Wales aims to improve the quality of life of schizophrenia patients prescribed the long-established antipsychotic drug clozapine. According to the charity Mind, it is thought that about 1 in every 100 people are diagnosed with schizophrenia at some point in their life. Symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations and disordered behaviour and speech. Due to their symptoms, the person may not realise something is wrong and will not seek medical help.

Clozapine has been used as a treatment for over thirty years, making it the leading medication and the only effective drug for patients diagnosed with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. While it has proven highly effective, patients taking clozapine are at an increased risk of developing chest infections and in some cases pneumonia and so must undergo monthly blood tests to monitor their white blood cell and antibody levels needed to fight off infection.

The new study, from the Immunodeficiency Centre for Wales research team based at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, aims to establish whether regular antibody testing could benefit patients taking clozapine and reduce their risk of infection.

Dr Rachel Bradley, an Academic Core Medical Trainee, is one of the researchers leading the study.

She said: “Antibodies are a key part of the body’s immune system that help us fight off infection. Patients with schizophrenia who take clozapine are at a greater risk of some infections, which can result in them becoming unwell and having to be admitted to hospital. This can be stressful and disruptive to their day-to-day lives.

“Our team recently discovered low levels of antibodies in some people with schizophrenia who are taking clozapine, which could make them more prone to infections. We are now looking to take this work further to see if we can repeat this finding on a larger scale across the whole of Wales. If we do, we can strongly suggest that antibody testing should become part of clozapine monitoring.”

The research team has been developing the study since 2019 and is currently in the final stages of the study setup. They hope to start recruiting patients in the autumn.

The study has received support and input from individuals who have schizophrenia, GPs, and Hafal, Wales’ leading charity for people with serious mental illness.

Rachel added: “We’re very grateful to the organisations and individuals who have played a vital role in developing the study and for their valuable feedback as the study progresses.

“We hope that this study will reduce the risk of serious infection to improve the quality of life of schizophrenia patients across Wales – and beyond – as well as reducing pressure on hospitals, by reducing resultant inpatient stays.”

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