Cariprazine

Cariprazine (trade name Vraylar, previously known as RGH-188) is an antipsychotic drug developed by Gedeon Richter. It acts as a D₂ and D₃ receptor partial agonist, with high selectivity towards the D₃ receptor. Positive Phase III study results were published for schizophrenia and mania in early 2012, and for bipolar disorder I depression from a Phase II trial in 2015. Action on the dopaminergic systems makes it also potentially useful as an add-on therapy in major depressive disorder

Rights are currently owned by Gedeon Richter and Actavis. The drug received FDA approval on September 17, 2015.

Medical uses

Cariprazine is approved for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It has also been investigated as a potential adjunct in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder.

Side effects

The most prevalent side effects for cariprazine include akathisia, insomnia, and weight gain. Cariprazine does not appear to impact metabolic variables or prolactin levels, and unlike many other antipsychotics, does not increase the electrocardiogram (ECG) QT interval. In short term clinical trials extrapyramidal effects, sedation, akathisia, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, anxiety, and constipation were observed. One review characterized the frequency of these events as "not greatly different from that seen in patient treated with placebo" but a second called the incidence of movement-related disorders "rather high".