Mentally Ill to Be Given New Drug

An expensive new drug that eases many of the symptoms of schizophrenia soon will be offered to patients at Camarillo State Hospital and Ventura County mental health facilities, marking a breakthrough for treating the mental illness.

Officials at the state hospital, which was involved in the initial testing of the drug, plan to start prescribing Clozaril to patients who fail to respond to other schizophrenia treatments. The Ventura County Department of Mental Health plans similar action.

The decision to provide the drug to patients in Ventura County and elsewhere follows a yearlong battle between public health officials nationwide and Hanover, N.J.-based Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corp., the manufacturer of the drug.

Until April 1, Sandoz required patients to receive weekly blood tests administered by a private firm contracting with the pharmaceutical company, bringing the cost of the drug to $9,000 a year per person.

Because of the high price, Medi-Cal would not pay for the drug and therefore most patients simply could not afford the treatment.

But now Sandoz is allowing county and state facilities to perform their own blood tests--lowering the cost of the drug to about $4,100 a year per person. It now qualifies for Medi-Cal coverage.

Although health officials still accuse Sandoz of charging too much for the medication, the change has made the drug more affordable, said Kassy Perry, assistant director of public affairs for the state Department of Mental Health.

The drug is expected to be in use in county facilities and Camarillo State Hospital within the next few months.

Blamed on abnormal brain chemistry, schizophrenia most often strikes without warning in the late teen-age or early adult years, sending victims into a hallucinatory world.

Currently, 40,000 diagnosed schizophrenics in California who have not been helped by conventional psychotropic drugs--such as Haldol and Thorazine--are eligible for Clozaril, health officials said. There are about 200,000 schizophrenics in California, according to health officials.

County officials are still trying to determine how many patients with schizophrenia are eligible to use the drug in Ventura County. Officials for the state say 90 patients at Camarillo State Hospital have qualified.

“This is a breakthrough,” said Lou Matthews, a member of the Ventura County Alliance for the Mentally Ill. “Up until now the drugs that are out there were not the best, but they were all we had. I think the idea of a new drug coming on line is an exciting one.”

Clozaril was shown to aid 60% of the patients monitored during FDA testing in 1986. Where Haldol and Thorazine sometimes fail, Clozaril helped silence the voices and hallucinations experienced by schizophrenics.

But it can have a deadly side effect. Tests indicate that 1% of the people who take Clozaril will contract agranulocytosis, a blood disorder that cripples the immune system and can be fatal if untreated.

Thus, Sandoz requires the weekly blood tests to check for the disorder.

Patti Kawahara, a clinical pharmacist for the county, said mental health officials are setting up a system to monitor patients’ blood and are locating a pharmacy to dispense the drug.

Once the county’s system is in operation, doctors at Camarillo State Hospital who were involved in the original testing of the drug will begin using Clozaril.

Margaret O’Hearn, a member of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill, said she is hoping that the drug will provide a second chance for her son, who has not responded to other medications. For the past five years he has been in Camarillo State Hospital.

“Schizophrenia is a terrible illness,” O’Hearn said. “Anything that can be done should be done. I’m very hopeful.”