Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe brain disorder that affects over one percent of the U.S. population. Because many sufferers have difficulty holding a job or caring for themselves, the burden on their families and society is significant. Current treatments fall short of relieving many symptoms.

In 2007, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) launched Measures for Clinical Trials of Treatment of Cognitive Impairment. This partnership, funded by $2.4 million in private-sector contributions, supports an initiative to develop a set of tools that can assess the effectiveness of drugs used to treat schizophrenia. The initiative is also adapting a series of tests, known as the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery, and translating them into languages commonly used for international clinical trials. For more information, visit the program’s Web site.

NIMH administers the program, while the Foundation for NIH coordinates a scientific board comprising representatives from NIH, FDA, industry, academia, and the advocacy community.

Partners
Abbott Laboratories
AstaZeneca LP
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
GlaxoSmithKline
F. Hoffman-La Roche
H. Lundbeck A/S
Johnson & Johnson
Eli Lilly & Company
Merck & Co., Inc.
Pfizer Inc
sanofi-aventis
Solvay
Takeda
Wyeth