DO NOVEL ANTIPSYCHOTICS HAVE SIMILAR PHARMACOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS - A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE

The pharmacological properties of the novel antipsychotic drugs (APDs) risperidone, sertindole, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone, remoxip ride, and amperozide are reviewed and compared with haloperidol and cl ozapine. Focus is made on their receptor profiles, their effects in an imal models used for evaluation of antipsychotic activity, and extrapy ramidal side effects (EPS). In addition, the contrasting actions of th ese compounds on animal models of cognition, anxiety, and depression a re briefly reviewed. The available evidence indicates that novel APDs and clozapine can be differentiated from haloperidol, particularly in models of EPS and cognitive side effects. However, among the group of novel APDs there are many individual differences in models reflecting limbic versus striatal inhibition of dopamine function: clozapine and sertindole show the largest limbic selectivity, following by quetiapin e, ziprasidone, olanzapine and remoxipride, whereas risperidone in man y respects hits a profile that resembles haloperidol. To date, the res ults of clinical studies have confirmed the predictions of lower incid ence or absence of EPS after administration of novel APDs in doses whi ch demonstrate antipsychotic efficacy. (C) 1998 American College of Ne uropsychopharmacology. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.