New schizophrenia drug targets brain glutamate, not dopamine
NCT ID NCT00520923
First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing whether the experimental drug LY2140023 (pomaglumetad methionil) reduces schizophrenia symptoms better than a placebo. The trial enrolls adults diagnosed with schizophrenia who stay in a hospital or clinic during the four-week study. Participants take the drug, a placebo, or olanzapine (a standard antipsychotic) by mouth twice daily, and researchers track symptom changes using rating scales.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- an experimental drug called pomaglumetad methionil (LY2140023)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new kind of antipsychotic that treats schizophrenia symptoms through glutamate signaling rather than dopamine, the target of most existing drugs.
- What could go wrong
- This is a mid-stage trial, and many schizophrenia drugs that look promising in phase 2 fail in larger studies. LY2140023 may not beat placebo, and it can cause side effects that are not yet fully known.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
669 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
-
Sep 2007
- Finished
-
Oct 2008
- Lead sponsor
-
A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 65 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Some Inclusion Criteria: * Participants must have a diagnosis of Schizophrenia as defined in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) (Disorganized, 295.10; Catatonic, 295.20; Paranoid, 295.30; Residual, 295.60; or Undifferentiated, 295.90) and confirmed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). * Participants must meet the following psychopathologic severity criteria at Visit 1: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) total score, extracted from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), of at least 45 (18-item version, in which 1 indicates "absent" and 7 indicates "severe"). In addition, item scores of at least 4 (moderate) will be required on 2 of the following BPRS items: conceptual disorganization, suspiciousness, hallucinatory behavior, and/or unusual thought content. * Participants must receive a rating of 4 (moderately ill) or greater on the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) scale at Visit 1. * Participants in whom, in the opinion of the investigator, a switch to another antipsychotic medication or initiation of an antipsychotic medication is acutely indicated. Some Exclusion Criteria: * Participants in whom treatment with olanzapine or placebo is relatively or absolutely clinically contraindicated. * Participants who have a history of inadequate response to an adequate treatment trial with olanzapine, in the opinion of the investigator. * Participants who have received treatment with olanzapine within 6 weeks prior to Visit 1. * Participants who have received treatment with clozapine at doses greater than 200 mg daily within 12 months prior to Visit 1, or who have received any clozapine at all during the month before Visit 1. * Participants who have a history of an inadequate response, in the opinion of the investigator, to 2 or more adequate antipsychotic medication trials of at least 8 weeks duration in the past 12 months prior to Visit 1. * Participants with acute, serious, or unstable medical conditions, including (but not limited to) inadequately controlled diabetes (hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) 8%), severe hypertriglyceridemia (fasting triglycerides 5.6 millimoles per litre (mmol/L), recent cerebrovascular accidents, serious acute systemic infection or immunologic disease, unstable cardiovascular disorders (including ischemic heart disease), malnutrition, hepatic, renal, gastroenterologic, respiratory, endocrinologic, neurologic, or hematologic diseases.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Schizophrenia are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Banfield, B1828CKR, Argentina
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Buenos Aires, C1424CAB, Argentina
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Lanus, B18241BR, Argentina
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Munro, 1605, Argentina
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Graz, 8036, Austria
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Vienna, 1090, Austria
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Osijek, HR-31000, Croatia
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Split, 21000, Croatia
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Zagreb, HR-10090, Croatia
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Aachen, D-52057, Germany
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Bochum, 44791, Germany
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Dresden, 01307, Germany
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
München, D-81675, Germany
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Mexico City, 14420, Mexico
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Monterrey, 64000, Mexico
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Lisbon, 1350-190, Portugal
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Porto, 4200-272, Portugal
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Bucharest, 73120, Romania
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Craiova, 200738, Romania
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Iași, 700282, Romania
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Târgu Mureş, 540139, Romania
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Kazan', 420012, Russia
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Khot'kovo, 127025, Russia
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Lipetsk, 399007, Russia
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Moscow, 123367, Russia
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Nikol’skoye, 188357, Russia
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Nizhny Novgorod, 603155, Russia
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Saint Petersburg, 190121, Russia
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Samara, 443016, Russia
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Cape Town, 7530, South Africa
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Durban, 4000, South Africa
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Johannesburg, 2198, South Africa
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
-
For additional information regarding investigative sites for this trial, contact 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559, 1-317-615-4559) Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours, EST), or speak with your personal physician.
Randburg, 2125, South Africa
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Scientists probe brain's reward system in mental illness
- New drug candidate takes aim at schizophrenia symptoms
- New schizophrenia drug goes Head-to-Head with standard antipsychotics in Long-Term trial
- Five-Year safety check for experimental schizophrenia drug
- A shot every few weeks? new drug tested for schizophrenia
- Could a Once-a-Week antipsychotic pill change schizophrenia care?