Lurasidone

Lurasidone, sold under the trade name Latuda among others, is an antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In bipolar it may be used together with a mood stabilizer such as lithium or valproate. It is taken by mouth. Lurasidone, sold under the trade name Latuda among others, is an antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In bipolar it may be used together with a mood stabilizer such as lithium or valproate. It is taken by mouth. Common side effects include sleepiness, movement disorders, nausea, and diarrhea. Serious side effects may include the potentially permanent movement disorder tardive dyskinesia, as well as neuroleptic malignant syndrome, an increased risk of suicide, angioedema, and high blood sugar levels. In older people with psychosis as a result of dementia, it may increase the risk of dying. Use during pregnancy is of unclear safety. How it works is not clear but is believed to involve effects on dopamine and serotonin in the brain. Lurasidone was approved for medical use in the United States in 2010. A month supply in the United Kingdom costs the NHS about £90.72 as of 2019. In the United States the wholesale cost of this amount is about US$190.20. In 2016, it was the 227th most prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 2.2 million prescriptions. Lurasidone is used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In a 2013 study in a comparison of 15 antipsychotic drugs in effectiveness in treating schizophrenic symptoms, lurasidone demonstrated mild effectiveness. As effective as iloperidone, and 13 to 15% less effective than ziprasidone, chlorpromazine, and asenapine. In July 2013 lurasidone received approval for bipolar I depression. Few available atypical antipsychotics are known to possess antidepressant efficacy in bipolar disorder (with the notable exceptions being quetiapine, olanzapine and possibly asenapine) as a monotherapy, even though the majority of atypical antipsychotics are known to possess significant antimanic activity, which is yet to be clearly demonstrated for lurasidone. Lurasidone is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of behavior disorders in older adults with dementia. Lurasidone is contraindicated in individuals who are taking strong inhibitors of the liver enzyme CYP3A4 (ketoconazole, clarithromycin, ritonavir, levodropropizine, etc.) or inducers (carbamazepine, St. John's wort, phenytoin, rifampicin etc.). The use of lurasidone in pregnant women has not been studied and is not recommended; in animal studies, no risks have been found. Excretion in breast milk is also unknown; lurasidone is not recommended for breastfeeding women. In the United States it is not indicated for use in children. Side effects are generally similar to other antipsychotics. The drug has a relatively well-tolerated side effect profile, with low propensity for QTc interval changes, weight gain and lipid-related adverse effects. In a 2013 meta-analysis of the efficacy and tolerability of 15 antipsychotic drugs it was found to produce the second least (after haloperidol) weight gain, the least QT interval prolongation, the fourth most extrapyramidal side effects (after haloperidol, zotepine and chlorpromazine) and the sixth least sedation (after paliperidone, sertindole, amisulpride, iloperidone and aripiprazole).