New research by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health published online by The American Journal of Psychiatry shows that schizophrenic children treated with newer antipsychotic Zyprexa from Eli Lilly and Risperdal from Janssen appear to have no better health outcomes compared to those treated with older, less expensive drugs.

In fact, the study highlights the idea that these new drugs even cause some harmful side effects.

The study involved 119 young people aged 8 to 19 who were prescribed either Zyprexa, Risperdal or molindone, an older drug for schizophrenia. The participants were followed for eight weeks. At the end of this period, 34 percent of children on Zyprexa, 46 percent on Risperdal and 50 percent on molindone showed significant improvement.

Moreover, the new drugs had repercussions on the kids’ weight. Those on Zyprexa gained an average of 13 pounds, those on Risperdal gained an average of nine, while those on molindone gained less than a pound. The cholesterol and insulin levels in kids on the new drug also had to suffer, putting them at high risk of diabetes.

“The guidelines for treating schizophrenia need to be revised, so that some of the milder, traditional or older medications are considered first-line treatments in some cases. We really need to find better alternatives,” Linmarie Sikich, the study’s lead author at the University of North Carolina said.