Lurasidone: The Most Recent Addition to Our Antipsychotic Armamentarium: A Review of the Data

Abstract

for clinical use in the United States (Figure 1), with lurasidone (Latuda) being the most recent agent to enter the market. It was the only new drug to be approved for use in schizophrenia by the FDA in the year 2010 and is likely to become available for clinical use in the first quarter of 2011. Despite the large number of antipsychotic medications, many patients either do not benefit or develop significant adverse effects from currently available agents. Psychiatrists need to evaluate data on emerging agents and determine how to incorporate them effectively into practice. In this article, we review the pharmacologic profile of lurasidone, summarize clinical trial data that pertain to its efficacy and safety-tolerability, discuss its optimal clinical use, compare its clinical profile with those of other commonly used antipsychotic agents, and consider its role in the treatment of schizophrenia.