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Emerging pharmacological therapies in schizophrenia: what’s new, what’s different, what’s next?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2017

Leslie Citrome*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: Leslie Citrome, MD, MPH, 11 Medical Park Drive, Suite 106, Pomona, NY 10970, USA. (Email: citrome@cnsconsultant.com)

Abstract

There are several new and emerging medication interventions for both the acute and maintenance treatment phases of schizophrenia. Recently approved are 2 new dopamine receptor partial agonists, brexpiprazole and cariprazine, as well as 2 new long-acting injectable antipsychotic formulations, aripiprazole lauroxil and 3-month paliperidone palmitate. Although differences in efficacy compared to other available choices are not expected, the new oral options offer different tolerability profiles that may be attractive for individual patients who have had difficulties with older medications. The new long-acting injectable options provide additional flexibility in terms of increasing the time interval between injections. In Phase III of clinical development is a novel antipsychotic, lumateperone (ITI-007), that appears to have little in the way of significant adverse effects. Deutetrabenazine and valbenazine are agents in Phase III for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia, a condition that can be found among persons receiving chronic antipsychotic therapy. On the horizon are additional injectable formulations of familiar antipsychotics, aripiprazole and risperidone, that may be more convenient than what is presently available.

Type
CME Review Article
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2016 

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Footnotes

This activity is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Intra-Cellular Therapies.

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