Lurasidone: new development for the treatment of psychosis

Abstract

Although we have had efficacious medications for both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder for over half a century, there remains a clear need for more effective and better-tolerated treatments for both conditions. Current antipsychotics often have troubling side-effect profiles particularly with respect to weight gain and cardiometabolic parameters. These drawbacks also extend to treatment of mania and there are very few evidence-based treatments for the depressed phases of bipolar disorder. The introduction of a novel treatment with a potentially better risk-to-benefit profile is therefore welcome.