Curated Data Now Available to Help Accelerate Diagnostic Tools and Treatments for Schizophrenia
NORTH BETHESDA, MD, November 17, 2023—The Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia (AMP® SCZ) reached a significant milestone this month when it released valuable curated data to researchers worldwide. Available through NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Data Archive, the AMP SCZ data contains screening and baseline data from 430 unique subjects, including clinical measures, electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), open interview transcripts, raw actigraphy watch data, and smartphone use. While allowing access to researchers, the data follows ethical considerations and protects sensitive patient information.
“The curated data release will have a transformative impact on scientific research, patient care, partnerships, and the broader scientific community,” said Alessio Travaglia, Director, Translational Science, Neuroscience, at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), which manages AMP SCZ. “It signifies a collaborative approach to tackling complex diseases and can potentially improve the lives of those affected by schizophrenia.”
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness characterized by distortions in thinking and behavior, including delusions and hallucinations. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to better long-term health outcomes. Launched in 2020, AMP SCZ brings together the combined capabilities of public and private partners to address the unmet need for early diagnostic and monitoring tools as well as the need to define targets for drug development.
The data release advances the goals of AMP SCZ from multiple aspects: For researchers, the data can lead to new insights into the genetic, molecular, and biological underpinnings of schizophrenia. Pharmaceutical companies and drug developers can use this data to identify potential drug targets and biomarkers, which may lead to new treatments for schizophrenia. Ultimately, individuals living with schizophrenia and their families stand to gain, as this data release can drive the development of better therapies and may lead to more personalized treatment approaches.
With this latest release, the FNIH is building on an impressive legacy of openly sharing scientific research through the Accelerating Medicines Partnerships. To learn more and access the AMP SCZ data repository, go to the NIMH Data Archive at nda.nih.gov/ampscz/.
About Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP):
AMP SCZ is one of many AMP programs expediting discovery around Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, type II diabetes, common metabolic diseases, heart failure, autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases, and rare diseases, all managed by the FNIH since the 2014 launch of the large-scale initiative. The AMP partnerships use cutting-edge scientific approaches to bring new medicines to patients through pre-competitive advancements in clinical target validation, data analytics, and consensus processes. To learn more about AMP, visit https://fnih.org/AMP.
About the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health:
The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) builds public-private partnerships that connect leading biomedical scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), life sciences companies, foundations, academia, and regulatory agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. Through team science, we solve complex health challenges and accelerate breakthroughs for patients, regardless of who they are or what health challenges they face. The FNIH accelerates new therapies, diagnostics, and potential cures; advances global health and equity in care; and celebrates and helps train the next generations of scientists. Established by Congress in 1990 to support the mission of the NIH, the FNIH is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information about the FNIH, please visit fnih.org.