Do we need another atypical antipsychotic?
Atypical antipsychotics were a great advance in the treatment of schizophrenia. But, there is still no atypical antipsychotic with an exceptional efficacy and safety profile for all patients. Clinicians are required to draw on their experiential knowledge to examine suitable options for individual patients. Following its suspension in 1998, the safety and efficacy of sertindole have been investigated in several post-marketing studies based in clinical settings. These have provided the safety data to support the reintroduction of sertindole, as well as specific examples demonstrating that certain patients, in particular, may benefit from a switch from other atypical antipsychotics to sertindole. Sertindole's individual and mostly favourable profile of treatment-emergent effects and safety allows for flexibility in treating patients. The propensity of sertindole to cause anticholinergic effects, which can be particularly troublesome, is small and, more recently, there have been suggestions that sertindole may have beneficial effects on cognition.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Wein, Austria. sci-genpsy@meduniwien.ac.at
Siegfried
S
Kasper
D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007211:Indoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011358:Product Surveillance, Postmarketing; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D007093:Imidazoles; D007211:Indoles; C066304:sertindole