"U.S. regulators have approved the first drug for treating a neurological syndrome that causes uncontrollable body movements that can also interfere with speech swallowing and breathing.  The sometimesdisabling disorder tardive dyskinesia is caused by some widely used prescription medicines for psychiatric and gastrointestinal disorders. It can surface while patients are on those medicines or years after they stop. It affects about  U.S. patients.  The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Ingrezza developed by Neurocrine Biosciences for treating adult patients. The San Diegobased biotech company didnt disclose the drugs list price but said it will when it begins offering the onceaday capsule for sale in May.  A second drug for the disorder from Israels Teva Pharmaceuticals is expected to win FDA approval in late August.  Tardive dyskinesia causes repetitive involuntary movements including rapid eye blinking grimacing lipsmacking and rapid movements of the trunk arms and legs. It can be embarrassing for patients and lead to social withdrawal and job loss.  The condition usually occurs after longterm use of drugs that block important receptors in the brain that help regulate mood movement and motor function.  Those drugs include pills for schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders including a newer generation of them that were touted as safer than older antipsychotic drugs. That claim led to the newer medicines being widely prescribed for depression bipolar disorder and other conditions.  Patients taking certain drugs for acid reflux and other stomach disorders such as metoclopramide also have developed tardive dyskinesia.  Until now treatment generally was limited to stopping or reducing the dosage of the psychiatric or stomach medication or switching to a different medication. However stopping the original medication doesnt halt tardive dyskinesia in most patients and doing so can destabilize schizophrenia patients according to Neurocrines chief executive Kevin Gorman.  Ingrezza known chemically as valbenazine was tested on more than  patients. In the final stage of testing  percent of patients given a high dose of Ingrezza saw their movement symptoms decrease by at least half after six weeks compared to about  percent of those getting dummy capsules Neurocrine reported.  Gorman said study participants who kept taking it after the six weeks had additional improvement and after a year. A small percentage who stopped taking Ingrezza then found their tardive dyskinesia symptoms didnt return.  Ingrezzas possible side effects were rare and include sleepiness heart rhythm problems restlessness dry mouth suicidal thoughts headaches and joint pain.  The drug is also being tested in patients as a possible treatment for Tourettes syndrome."