European clozapine guidance shaped by South London and Maudsley expertise
We are proud to celebrate the pioneering work of Professor David Taylor and our pharmacy team, whose research and leadership have directly shaped new European guidance on the safe use of clozapine – a life-saving treatment for schizophrenia.
Clozapine is often the last line of hope for people living with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. While highly effective, it carries risks that require careful monitoring. For decades, patients and clinicians have followed strict blood test schedules to reduce the chance of serious side effects. Now, thanks to evidence championed by Professor Taylor and colleagues, that process is changing across Europe.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has endorsed new recommendations that simplify and improve how clozapine patients are monitored. Instead of frequent and sometimes burdensome blood tests, monitoring will now focus on the most accurate marker - absolute neutrophil count - and become less frequent after the first two years of treatment.
Professor Taylor explained:
“We showed that 12-weekly monitoring was safe. The EMA used this evidence to change their regulation on clozapine monitoring in the EU. We are hoping that the MHRA in the UK will follow the EMA lead. This would make a huge difference for patients.”
This change is more than a technical adjustment. It represents a major step forward for patient safety, experience, and cost-effectiveness:
- Safer care: Monitoring is now better aligned with the actual risk profile of clozapine.
- Better experience: Fewer tests mean reduced disruption to daily life, supporting recovery and independence.
- Smarter systems: Health services can focus resources where they are most needed.
Professor Taylor’s contribution is just one example of how our teams continue to lead nationally and globally on issues that make a real difference to patients. From pharmacy to psychology, and across our 60+ national and specialist services, we remain a place where world-class expertise translates into everyday impact.
Derek Tracey, Chief Medical Director at SLaM, said:
“One of the great pleasures and privileges of working in SLaM is being alongside so many world-leading experts. There is no doubt that Professor David Taylor is one of these. With his pharmacy and other colleagues, they establish the evidence-base upon which so much contemporary prescribing and practice are based. Our patients benefit from being at the forefront of this excellence, where standards of care are set that other NHS organisations follow”.
David and the team’s work shows the depth of expertise we have within the Trust, and why our staff are recognised leaders in mental health care worldwide. We are not only delivering care – we are setting the standard for how it should be delivered.
