The impacts of CYP3A4 genetic polymorphism and drug interactions on the metabolism of lurasidone.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of 24 variants of recombinant human CYP3A4 and drug interactions on the metabolism of lurasidone. In vitro, enzymatic reaction incubation system of CYP3A4 was established to determine the kinetic parameters of lurasidone catalyzed by 24 CYP3A4 variants. Then, we constructed rat liver microsomes (RLM) and human liver microsomes (HLM) incubation system to screen potential anti-tumor drugs that could interact with lurasidone and studied its inhibitory mechanism. In vivo, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were applied to study the interaction between lurasidone and olmutinib. The concentrations of the analytes were detected by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). As the results, we found that compared with the wild-type CYP3A4, the relative intrinsic clearances vary from 355.77 % in CYP3A4.15 to 14.11 % in CYP3A4.12. A series of drugs were screened based on the incubation system, and compared to without olmutinib, the amount of ID-14283 (the metabolite of lurasidone) in RLM and HLM were reduced to 7.22 % and 7.59 %, and its IC50 were 18.83 ± 1.06 µM and 16.15 ± 0.81 µM, respectively. At the same time, it exerted inhibitory effects both through a mixed mechanism. When co-administration of lurasidone with olmutinib in rats, the AUC(0-t) and AUC(0-∞) of lurasidone were significantly increased by 73.52 % and 69.68 %, respectively, while CLz/F was observably decreased by 43.83 %. In conclusion, CYP3A4 genetic polymorphism and olmutinib can remarkably affect the metabolism of lurasidone.

Antipsychotic lurasidone: Behavioural and pharmacokinetic data in C57BL/6 mice.

Lurasidone is an atypical antipsychotic that has been shown to be effective in reversing schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment. The development of new preclinical models of schizophrenia is a key for improving treatments of cognitive symptoms. This study investigated the effects of chronic lurasidone treatment in C57BL/6 male mice via intraperitoneal injection (1 mg/kg daily at 5 p.m. for 5 weeks). A large battery of behavioural tests was performed (between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.), which is currently used to assess face validity in animal models of psychiatric diseases. Overall, lurasidone did not interfere with behavioural performances, which characterises very good tolerance to such a high dose. Moreover, pharmacokinetic parameters after i.p. and oral administration were measured. Mean transit time (MTT) values were 1.91 h (1 mg/kg acute i.p.) and 1.74 h (8.3 mg/kg acute oral), respectively, and relative bioavailability comparing these two routes of administration was of 19.8%. This last result gives important data to adapt oral chronic administration of lurasidone with a more ethical perspective in comparison with chronic i.p. injections. This study brings tools to improve pharmacological validity of preclinical models of psychiatric diseases, and to adapt dosage of antipsychotics according to the route used.

Exploring micellar-based polymeric systems for effective nose-to-brain drug delivery as potential neurotherapeutics.

Non-invasive nose-to-brain delivery presents a competitive strategy for effective drug targeting. This strategy can potentially evade the blood-brain barrier (BBB) depending on the pathway the drug and/or drug/micelle composite travels, thereby allowing direct drug delivery to the brain. This delivery strategy was employed for lurasidone, a clinically USFDA-approved neurotherapeutic molecule in bipolar disorders and schizophrenia treatments. The aim of this study was to develop mixed polymeric micelles of lurasidone HCl (LH) for targeted brain delivery via intranasal route. Lurasidone HCl-loaded mixed micelles (LHMM) were prepared by solvent evaporation method and optimized by 32 factorial design to quantify the effects of excipients on micelle size and entrapment efficiency. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy helped in scrutinizing drug-excipient interactions whereas transmission electron microscopy images showed particle size and shape. Further, LHMM and LHMM hydrogel were evaluated for in vitro diffusion, histopathology, ex vivo permeation, in vivo pharmacokinetics and stability studies. Optimized LHMM exhibited 175 nm particle size and 97.8% entrapment efficiency with improved in vitro drug diffusion (81%). LHMM hydrogel showed 79% ex vivo drug permeation without any significant signs of nasociliary toxicity to sheep nasal mucosa. Single dose in vivo pharmacokinetic studies showed improved therapeutic concentration of drug in the brain post intranasal administration with 9.5 ± 0.21 µg/mL Cmax and T1/2 of 19.1 ± 0.08 h as compared to pure drug. LHMM, when administered by intranasal route, demonstrated significant increase in the drug targeting efficiency as well as potential (%DTE and %DTP) of drug as compared to pure lurasidone. Thus, nanosized mixed micelles were useful in effective brain delivery of lurasidone HCl via intranasal route. Graphical abstract.

Lurasidone Malabsorption Following Bariatric Surgery: A Case Report.

A significant segment of the United States adult population is obese. Bariatric surgery is one approach to weight loss when nonsurgical efforts have failed. In individuals with a body mass index ≥50, gastric reduction with duodenal switch is more effective than gastric bypass. More than half of bariatric surgery candidates report a history of mental illness and more than one third were taking at least one psychotropic medication at the time of surgery. Thus, the impact of surgery on absorption of psychiatric medications should be considered. Lurasidone, a second-generation antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, is recommended to be taken with food of at least 350 calories. We describe the case of a patient with incomplete response to lurasidone therapy in the year following a duodenal switch procedure. This case raises concern about the effect that the duodenal switch procedure may have on lurasidone absorption.

Optimization of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers of Lurasidone Hydrochloride Using Box-Behnken Design for Brain Targeting: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

Intranasal nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) of lurasidone hydrochloride (LRD) for brain delivery was prepared by the solvent evaporation method. The effects of independent variables, X1-lipid concentration, X-2 surfactant, and X-3 sonication times on dependent variables, Y1-particle size, Y-2 polydispersity index, and Y-3% entrapment efficiency were determined using Box-Behnken design. Optimized LRD-NLC was selected from the Box-Behnken design and evaluated for their morphological, physiological, nasal diffusion, and in vivo distribution in the brain after intranasal administration. Particle size, polydispersity index, and entrapment efficiency of optimized LRD-NLC were found to be 207.4 ± 1.5 nm, 0.392 ± 0.15, and 92.12 ± 1.0%, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the particle size and surface morphology of LRD-NLC. The prepared LRD-NLC follows biphasic in vitro drug release. Prepared NLC showed a 2-fold increase in LRD concentration in the brain when compared with the drug solution following intranasal administration. Results showed that intranasal route can be a good and efficient approach for delivering the drug directly to the brain and enhancing the drug efficacy in the brain for the management of schizophrenia and a good alternative to oral drug delivery.

Lurasidone in Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review and Case Report.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review of studies of lurasidone in children and/or adolescents and to present a case report aimed to add further insights into its use in clinical practice with youth. METHODS: We searched the following databases for empirical studies, of any design, focusing on the pharmacokinetics, efficacy, or safety of lurasidone in children and/or adolescents: Pubmed (Medline), OVID (PsycInfo, EMBASE+EMBASE classic, OVID Medline), Web of Knowledge, and ClinicalTrials.gov (last search January 23, 2018). RESULTS: From a pool of 301 potentially relevant references, we retained 12 pertinent studies (reported in 28 references), including 1 pharmacokinetics study, 1 double blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) for bipolar depression (BD) with 1 related interim analysis study of its extension phase and 1 related external posterior predictive check study, 1 double blind RCT for schizophrenia with 3 related interim analyses of its extension phase, 1 RCT and 1 case report for autism spectrum disorder, and 2 open-label studies focusing on a variety of disorders. Overall, these studies show that lurasidone is significantly more efficacious than placebo, with moderate effect sizes, and is well tolerated for BD and schizophrenia in youth. Published studies in youth have in general used doses up to 80 mg/day. Our case report suggests that high doses of lurasidone (148 mg/day) were well tolerated and might have contributed to substantial functional improvement in a 14-year old girl with psychosis and a previous history of anorexia nervosa, who had not responded to previous antipsychotics (olanzapine, risperidone, aripiprazole). CONCLUSIONS: There is increasing evidence that lurasidone may be moderately effective and well tolerated for the treatment of BD and psychosis in youth and may have procognitive effects. Our case report suggests that future RCTs should assess the efficacy and tolerability of high doses (>80 mg/day) of lurasidone in youth.

Sustained Impairment of Lurasidone Clearance After Discontinuation of Posaconazole: Impact of Obesity, and Implications for Patient Safety.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: The antipsychotic agent lurasidone (Latuda®) is metabolized by Cytochrome P450-3A (CYP3A) enzymes. Coadministration with strong CYP3A inhibitors (such as ketoconazole, posaconazole, and ritonavir) is contraindicated due to the risk of sedation and movement disorders from high levels of lurasidone. This study evaluated the time-course of recovery from the posaconazole drug interaction, and the effect of obesity on the recovery process. METHODS/PROCEDURES: Healthy normal-weight volunteers (n = 11, mean body mass index, BMI, = 23.1 kg/m) and otherwise healthy obese subjects (n = 13, mean BMI = 49.3 kg/m) received single doses of lurasidone in the baseline control condition, again during coadministration of posaconazole, and at 4 additional time points during the 2 weeks after posaconazole discontinuation. FINDINGS/RESULTS: With posaconazole coadministration, lurasidone area under the concentration curve (AUC) increased by an arithmetic mean factor of 6.2 in normals, and by 4.9 in obese subjects. Post-treatment washout of posaconazole was slow in normals (mean half-life 31 hours), and further prolonged in obese subjects (53 hours). Recovery of lurasidone AUC toward baseline was correspondingly slow, and was incomplete. AUC remained significantly elevated above baseline both in normals (factor of 2.1) and obese subjects (factor of 3.4) even at 2 weeks after stopping posaconazole. IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Product labeling does not address the necessary delay after discontinuation of a strong CYP3A inhibitor before lurasidone can be safely administered. We recommend requiring normal-weight and obese patients to limit the dosage of lurasidone, or undergo a washout period, for two and three weeks, respectively, after discontinuation of posaconazole.

Phospholipid based self-nanoemulsifying self-nanosuspension (p-SNESNS) as a dual solubilization approach for development of formulation with diminished food effect: Fast/fed in vivo pharmacokinetics study in human.

The novel self- nanoemulsifying self-nanosuspension (SNESNS) combines the advantages of two efficient solubilization technologies; the nanoemulsion and the nanosuspension. The aim of this study is to test the efficiency of phospholipid based self-nanoemulsifying self-nanosuspension (p-SNESNS) formulation as a powerful tool to diminish the food effect on bioavailability of lurasidone hydrochloride as BCS Class II model drug. Phospholipid was incorporated into SNESNS to increase the solubilization power of the in-situ formed nanoemulsion and facilitate the dispersion of the in-situ formed nanosized drug particles. P-SNESNS was evaluated for particle size, Polydispersity index, in vitro dissolution and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The drug amount dissolved after water dilution of LSD p-SNESNS was ~2 folds that dissolved after dilution of non-phospholipid SNESNS. The self-nanosuspension obtained by aqueous dilution of p-SNESNS kept the cubic morphology of LSD macroparticles. The high in vitro dissolution of LSD in the non-sink dissolution media (water and Phosphate buffer pH6.8) indicated that the p-SNESNS formulation had successfully increased the drug solubility irrespective of pH of the medium. The pharmacokinetics parameters of LSD p-SNESNS in humans were the same in both the fasted and fed states and were similar to those of LSD capsules in the fed state. Our results propose that p-SNESNS could be promising to increase patient compliance and drug efficiency of BCS class II antipsychotics by diminishing the food effect on their oral absorption and preventing the necessity to administer them with food.

Single- and Multiple-Dose Pharmacokinetics, Safety and Tolerability of Lurasidone in Healthy Chinese Subjects.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The pharmacokinetics of lurasidone have been studied in healthy Japanese and Caucasian subjects, but not in Chinese subjects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of oral lurasidone in healthy Chinese subjects. METHODS: This single-center, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, and double-blind study evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of oral lurasidone administered as a single dose (20, 40, and 80 mg) and multiple doses for 5 days (40 mg administered once daily) in healthy Chinese subjects. Serum lurasidone and its metabolites were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters for lurasidone and its metabolites were calculated using non-compartmental analysis of WinNonlin® version 6.2. Safety analyses were recorded using physical examinations, vital signs, electrocardiogram, and clinical laboratory tests. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of lurasidone reached maximum concentration (C max) within 1.0-3.0 h after each single dose, and then decreased biphasically, with a mean half-life (t ½) from 18.1 to 25.5 h over the dose range of 20-80 mg. The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) and C max values increased approximately dose proportionally. Lurasidone steady state was achieved after 5 days of daily dosing and the accumulation index of the AUC during a dosage interval (AUCτ) was 1.25, smaller than theoretical cumulative coefficient (1.76). Similar results were observed for the metabolites (ID-14283, ID-14326, and ID-11614). No severe adverse events (AEs) were observed in the single- or multiple-dose studies and no subject discontinued from the study due to AEs. The most common reported AEs were somnolence, increased blood prolactin, and restlessness, with a higher rate as dose increased. CONCLUSION: Lurasidone was safe and well-tolerated in healthy Chinese subjects, following single doses in the range of 20 to 80 mg and multiple doses of 40 mg/day for 5 days. Linear increase in lurasidone C max and AUC values were seen following single doses from 20 to 80 mg. There was no unexpected accumulation after multiple administrations of lurasidone at 40 mg/day, and the pharmacokinetic characteristics were consistent with the conclusion obtained in the previous studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifiers NCT02174510 and NCT02174523.

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Lurasidone Hydrochloride, a Second-Generation Antipsychotic: A Systematic Review of the Published Literature.

Lurasidone hydrochloride, a benzisothiazol derivative, is a second-generation (atypical) antipsychotic agent that has received regulatory approval for the treatment of schizophrenia in the US, Canada, the EU, Switzerland, and Australia, and also for bipolar depression in the US and Canada. In addition to its principal antagonist activity at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, lurasidone has distinctive 5-HT7 antagonistic activity, and displays partial agonism at 5-HT1A receptors, as well as modest antagonism at noradrenergic α2A and α2C receptors. Lurasidone is devoid of antihistaminic and anticholinergic activities. It is administered once daily within the range of 40-160 mg/day for schizophrenia and 20-120 mg/day for bipolar depression, and its pharmacokinetic profile requires administration with food. In adult healthy subjects and patients, a 40 mg dose results in peak plasma concentrations in 1-3 h, a mean elimination half-life of 18 h (mostly eliminated in the feces), and apparent volume of distribution of 6173 L; it is approximately 99 % bound to serum plasma proteins. Lurasidone's pharmacokinetics are approximately dose proportional in healthy adults and clinical populations within the approved dosing range, and this was also found in a clinical study of children and adolescents. Lurasidone is principally metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 with minor metabolites and should not be coadministered with strong CYP3A4 inducers or inhibitors. Lurasidone does not significantly inhibit or induce CYP450 hepatic enzymes.

A case of a probable drug interaction between lurasidone and atazanavir-based antiretroviral therapy.

The cytochrome P450 isoform that is primarily involved in the metabolism of the antipsychotic lurasidone is CYP3A4. Drugs that inhibit or induce this enzyme would then be expected to increase or decrease serum concentrations of lurasidone, respectively. Atazanavir, an HIV-1 protease inhibitor, has demonstrated to be an inhibitor of CYP3A4 and would be expected to increase the exposure of any drug metabolized by this enzyme. We report a case of an atazanavir-precipitated drug-drug interaction that led to elevated serum concentrations of lurasidone and associated clinical symptoms of drug toxicity.

Lurasidone: The 2016 update on the pharmacology, efficacy and safety profile.

The aim of this paper was to review the up-to-date evidence base on pharmacology and clinical properties of lurasidone. Lurasidone is an atypical antipsychotic, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar depression. Lurasidone exhibits both an antipsychotic and antidepressant action. Based on its pharmacodynamics profile, it is believed that the drug's clinical action is mediated mainly through the D2, 5-HT2A and 5-HT7 receptors inhibition. In patients with schizophrenia the recommended dose range is 40-80mg/day. In bipolar depression broader dosage ranges (20-120mg/day) were found to be effective. In terms of side effects, higher rates of akathisia, parkinsonism and hyperprolactinemia were observed in individuals receiving lurasidone (as compared to patients treated with other atypical antipsychotics). On the other hand, treatment with lurasidone yields relatively lower risk for developing sedation or overweight/obesity.

Lurasidone: an antipsychotic with antidepressant effects in bipolar depression?

OBJECTIVE: Lurasidone is a new serotonin-dopamine antagonist atypical antipsychotic which also appears to be effective in bipolar depression. This paper will briefly review the evidence concerning lurasidone. CONCLUSIONS: Lurasidone is an antagonist at dopamine D2, serotonin 5-HT2 and 5-HT7, and partial agonist at 5HT1a receptors; it has no anticholinergic or antihistaminic activity. Rapidly absorbed, it has a half-life of 18 ± 7 hours, will reach steady state in five days and is taken at night with food (absorption is halved on an empty stomach). It is hepatically metabolised with some potential for interactions. Lurasidone is an effective antipsychotic in acute schizophrenia, and non-inferior to quetiapine but not risperidone in 12-month studies. Lurasidone may cause mild sedation, nausea, agitation, insomnia and akathisia (especially at initiation). Risks for weight gain, hyperprolactinaemia and QTc prolongation are low. Lurasidone has demonstrated antidepressant efficacy both as monotherapy and in addition to lithium or valproate in bipolar depression, of a comparable degree to that seen with the combination of olanzapine and fluoxetine. Lurasidone appears to be a "metabolically-friendly" antipsychotic for schizophrenia where weight gain and hyperprolactinaemia are of concern, and may also prove useful in bipolar depression (although not approved for this condition in Australia).

Lurasidone Dose Response in Bipolar Depression: A Population Dose-response Analysis.

PURPOSE: Characterization of dose-response relationships for psychotropic agents may be difficult to determine based on results of individual clinical studies, particularly those with a flexible dose design. The goal of this pharmacometric analysis was to characterize the dose-response profile for lurasidone in patients with bipolar depression. METHODS: The statistical modeling and simulation analyses reported here were derived from 2 randomized, 6-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, flexible-dose studies (20-60 mg/d or 80-120 mg/d of lurasidone as monotherapy or 20-120 mg/d adjunct to lithium or valproate) in patients with bipolar depression. Pooled data included 5245 Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) observations from 825 patients who had received lurasidone or placebo treatments, with or without lithium or valproate background medication. FINDINGS: The time course of placebo effect on the MADRS score was adequately described by an exponential asymptotic placebo model. A linear dose-response model best described the effect of lurasidone. The net improvement in MADRS score due to lurasidone treatment (the drug effect) was significant (P < 0.001), and a positive dose response was detected. Net drug effect after 6 weeks of treatment was estimated to be a 6.0-point decrease in MADRS score per 100 mg of lurasidone. Covariate effects (for age and lithium or valproate use) were significant only for placebo effect parameters; thus, no dose adjustment was necessary related to demographic covariates. IMPLICATIONS: This population dose-response modeling analysis indicates that higher doses of lurasidone are likely to produce greater therapeutic effects in patients with bipolar depression. The linear dose response was consistent for both lurasidone monotherapy and adjunctive therapy in patients with bipolar depression. ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT00868452, NCT00868699.

LC-MS/MS assay for the determination of lurasidone and its active metabolite, ID-14283 in human plasma and its application to a clinical pharmacokinetic study.

The authors proposed a sensitive, selective and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) assay procedure for the quantification of lurasidone and its active metabolite, i.e. ID-14283 in human plasma simultaneously using corresponding isotope labeled compounds as internal standards as per regulatory guidelines. After liquid-liquid extraction with tert-butyl methyl ether, the analytes were chromatographed on a C18 column using an optimized mobile phase composed of 5 mm ammonium acetate (pH 5.0) and acetonitrile (15:85, v/v) and delivered at a flow rate of 1.00 mL/min. The assay exhibits excellent linearity in the concentration ranges of 0.25-100 and 0.10-14.1 ng/mL for lurasidone and ID-14283, respectively. The precision and accuracy results over five concentration levels in four different batches were well within the acceptance limits. Lurasidone and ID-14283 were found to be stable in battery of stability studies. The method was rapid with the chromatographic run time 2.5 min, which made it possible to analyze 300 samples in a single day. Additionally, this method was successfully used to estimate the in vivo plasma concentrations of lurasidone and ID-14283 obtained from a pharmacokinetic study in south Indian male subjects and the results were authenticated by conducting incurred samples reanalysis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Enhanced oral bioavailability of lurasidone by self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system in fasted state.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to develop a new formulation to enhance the bioavailability and reduce the food effect of lurasidone using self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDSs). METHODS: The formulation of lurasidone-SNEDDS was selected by the solubility and pseudo-ternary phase diagram studies. The prepared lurasidone-SNEDDS formulations were characterized for self-emulsification time, effect of pH and robustness to dilution, droplet size analysis, zeta potential and in vitro drug release. Lurasidone-SNEDDSs were administered to beagle dogs in fed and fasted state and their pharmacokinetics were compared to commercial available tablet as a control. RESULTS: The result showed lurasidone-SNEDDS was successfully prepared using Capmul MCM, Tween 80 and glycerol as oil phase, surfactant and co-surfactant, respectively. In vitro drug release studies indicated that the lurasidone-SNEDDS showed improved drug release profiles and the release behavior was not affected by the medium pH with total drug release of over 90% within 5 min. Pharmacokinetic study showed that the AUC(0-∞) and Cmax for lurasidone-SNEDDS are similar in the fasted and fed state, indicating essentially there is no food effect on the drug absorption. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that enhanced bioavailability and no food effect of lurasidone had been achieved by using SNEDDS.

Pharmacokinetics and Tolerability of Lurasidone in Children and Adolescents With Psychiatric Disorders.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile and tolerability of lurasidone in children and adolescents with a range of psychiatric disorders. METHODS: This multicenter, open-label, single and multiple ascending-dose study of the PK profile of lurasidone (20, 40, 80, 120, and 160 mg/d) enrolled outpatients aged 6 to 17 years with a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar spectrum disorder, or other psychiatric disorder. Serial blood samples were collected for analysis of PK parameters, including Cmax, Tmax, and AUC0-24. FINDINGS: Exposure (Cmax and AUC0-24) to lurasidone and its active metabolites showed linear increases across the entire dose range. Slope estimates (95% CI) across the dose range studied was 0.90 ng · h/mL (0.74-1.06) for AUC0-24 and 0.70 ng/mL (0.52-0.87) for Cmax on day 10 or 12. Lurasidone exposure, after multiple-dose administration in this child and adolescent population, was similar to exposure observed at steady state in adults. The effects of dose on exposure to the 3 active metabolites of lurasidone were linear and similar after the administration of single and multiple doses. Adverse events were qualitatively similar to those reported in adults. Discontinuations due to adverse events were dose related, with doses <120 mg/d being better tolerated than higher doses, especially in younger children. IMPLICATIONS: In this child and adolescent population, exposure parameters for lurasidone and its active metabolites were dose proportional in the range of 20 to 160 mg/d after the administration of single and multiple doses. These results suggest that lurasidone doses <120 mg/d were better tolerated compared with higher doses, especially in younger children. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01620060.

How the pharmacokinetics and receptor-binding profile of lurasidone affect the clinical utility and safety of the drug in the treatment of schizophrenia.

INTRODUCTION: This paper reviews the pharmacokinetic and safety profile of lurasidone from the perspective of clinical pharmacology and helps the clinician compare this drug with others from the same therapeutic class to aid in drug selection and use in specific situations. AREAS COVERED: We reviewed the literature using the keywords 'lurasidone,' 'schizophrenia' and 'clinical trials.' In our review, particular attention was paid to those articles that reviewed the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the drug and its efficacy and safety/tolerability based on data from registration trials. EXPERT OPINION: Lurasidone may be more effective and/or better tolerated than other antipsychotics by some patients although there is currently no way to identify which patients will best respond to which antipsychotic medication. Data from clinical trials of lurasidone in schizophrenia suggest a lower likelihood of weight gain and metabolic problems in patients being treated with lurasidone versus olanzapine and quetiapine.

Novel Atypical Antipsychotics: Metabolism and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM).

Medicinal chemistry is continually developing and testing new drugs and drug candidates to satisfactorily address the needs of patients suffering from schizophrenia. In the last few years, some significant additions have been made to the list of widely available atypical antipsychotics. In particular, iloperidone, asenapine and lurasidone have been approved by the USA's Food and Drug Administration in 2009-10. In this paper, the most notable metabolic characteristics of these new drugs are addressed, with particular attention to their potential for pharmacokinetic interactions, and to the respective advantages and disadvantages in this regard. Moreover, current perspectives on the therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of the considered drugs are discussed. Since TDM is most valuable when it allows the personalisation and optimisation of therapeutic practices, it is even more interesting in the case of novel drugs, such as those discussed here, whose real impact in terms of side and toxic effects on very large populations is still unknown. Some analytical notes, related to TDM application, are included for each drug.

The pharmacodynamic properties of lurasidone and their role in its antidepressant efficacy in bipolar disorder.

The treatment of bipolar depression is one of the most challenging issues in contemporary psychiatry. Currently only quetiapine, the olanzapine-fluoxetine combination and recently lurasidone are officially FDA-approved against this condition. The neurobiology of bipolar depression and the possible targets of bipolar antidepressant therapy remain elusive. The current study investigated whether the pharmacodynamic properties of lurasidone fit to a previously developed model which was the first to be derived on the basis of the strict combination of clinical and preclinical data with no input from theory or opinion. The authors performed a complete and systematic review of the literature to identify the pharmacodynamic properties of lurasidone. The original model suggests that a constellation of effects on different receptors are necessary but the serotonin reuptake inhibition does not seem to play a significant role for bipolar depression. On the contrary norepinephrine activity seems to be very important. Probably the early antidepressant effect can be achieved through an agonistic activity at 5HT-1A and antagonism at alpha1 noradrenergic and 5-HT2A receptors, but the presence of a norepinephrine reuptake inhibition is essential in order to sustain it. Overall the properties of lurasidone fit well the model and add to its validity. A point that needs clarification is norepinephrine reuptake inhibition which is not yet studied for lurasidone.