Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have developed a new method for monitoring blood levels of the antipsychotic drug Clozapine.
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Clozapine is considered the most effective antipsychotic medication for schizophrenia and the only antipsychotic currently approved for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but is also associated with harsh side effects. Both its efficacy and its side effects are strongly correlated with blood concentration levels, which can differ up to 20-fold between individuals prescribed identical doses, and can be greatly affected by age, gender, drug interactions and other parameters.
Dr. Hadar Ben-Yoav of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology has developed a method to monitor concentrations of Clozapine based on an electrochemical microsensor which can detect clozapine in a single drop of blood from a finger prick.
"Our device can be the basis of rapid, accurate point-of-care monitoring of patients that will enable personalized medicine through close monitoring and adjustment of the dose of this important drug," said Ben-Yoav.
