Ziprasidone: Pharmacology, clinical progress and therapeutic promise

Choosing among the atypical antipsychotics currently available for the trea tment of schizophrenia requires the clinician to evaluate the relative meri ts of each agent. Ziprasidone is another atypical antipsychotic, currently under consideration for approval to use in clinical practice, whose role is at present under review. Based upon the information reviewed here, ziprasi done is an agent which possesses the preclinical and clinical attributes wh ich characterize an "atypical" antipsychotic and is an effective antipsycho tic medication for the treatment of psychosis. Ziprasidone appears to discr iminate from other atypical antipsychotics by its low propensity for weight gain and by the availability of a short-acting intramuscular formulation. Its role in clinical practice will be determined by clinician experience an d by additional phase IV clinical trials. (C) 2000 Prous Science. All right s reserved.