Ziprasidone (ziprasidone hydrochloride)

Ziprasidone is available as Ziprasidone Capsules for oral administration and is most effective when taken with food. It has been approved for treatment of schizophrenia.

Ziprasidone is a serotonin dopamine antagonist that works to treat the positive, negative, and depressive symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Positive symptoms include visual and auditory hallucinations and delusions. Negative symptoms, which are harder to treat, include blunted affect, social withdrawal, and lack of motivation.

Schizophrenia is a chronic illness that requires lifelong treatment. It affects approximately one percent of the world's population and is estimated to cost more than $104 billion in hospital costs, medications, health care services, and lost productivity.

The efficacy of Ziprasidone Capsules (ziprasidone hydrochloride) as a treatment for schizophrenia was established in four short-term, four to six week trials and one long-term 52 week trial. All were placebo-controlled studies in inpatients, most of whom met DSM III-R criteria for schizophrenia. Each trial evaluated two or three fixed doses of Ziprasidone, ranging from 20 to 100 mg, as well as placebo.

The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) were used to assess psychiatric signs and symptoms. Four of the five trials showed the drug to be statistically superior to placebo. One short-term trial did not. (from Ziprasidone Prescribing Information)

Adverse events associated with the use of ziprasidone hydrochloride may include (but are not limited to) the following:

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• Somnolence
• Rash
• Dizziness
• Abnormal muscle movements

The mechansim of action of Ziprasidone (ziprasidone hydrochloride), as with other antipsychotic drugs effective in schizophrenia treatment, is unknown. It is thought though, that this drug's efficacy is mediated through a combination of dopamine type-2 (D2) and serotonin type-2 (5-HT2) antagonism. Other therapeutic and side effects of Ziprasidone may result from antagonism at other receptors with affinities similar to D2 and 5-HT2.

Ziprasidone is well absorbed after oral administration and reaches peak plasma concentration in six to eight hours. Absorption is increased up to two-fold when the drug is taken with food. (from Ziprasidone Prescribing Information)

For additional information on schizophrenia, please visit Schizophrenia.