Atypical antipsychotic: Class Overview and Comparison
Quick answer: Atypical antipsychotic are a class of medicines used for specific therapeutic indications. iMedic covers 21 atypical antipsychotic substances. Below is a comparison table linking to detailed pages for each.
Atypical antipsychotic on iMedic (21 substances)
| Substance | Primary indications | Mechanism | Common dose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aripiprazole | Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder | Partial agonist at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT1A receptors with 5-HT2A antago | 10-30 mg once daily |
| Clozapine | Treatment-resistant schizophrenia, Reduction of suicidal behavior in schizophrenia | Antagonizes dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors with high affinity for D4 | 12.5 mg initial titrating to 200-450 mg/day (max 900 mg/day) |
| Invega | Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder | Paliperidone is a serotonin (5-HT2A) and dopamine (D2) receptor antagonist | 3-12 mg orally once daily (oral); long-acting injectable formulations available |
| Latuda | Schizophrenia, Bipolar depression | Lurasidone (active substance) antagonizes dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A recep | 40-160 mg once daily with food |
| Lurasidone Liconsa | Schizophrenia, Bipolar depression | Antagonist at D2 and 5-HT2A receptors with partial agonism at 5-HT1A | 40-160 mg once daily with food |
| Medorisper | Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder | Risperidone is a dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptor antagonist | 1-6 mg daily |
| Olanzapine | Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder | Serotonin-dopamine receptor antagonist with affinity for 5-HT2A and D2 receptors | 5-20 mg once daily |
| Olazax | Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder | Brand of olanzapine — serotonin-dopamine receptor antagonist | 5-20 mg once daily |
| Olazax Disperzi | Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder | Orodispersible formulation of olanzapine — serotonin-dopamine receptor antagonis | 5-20 mg once daily |
| Paliperidon | Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder | Active metabolite of risperidone; antagonist at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A | 3-12 mg once daily (oral); 39-234 mg IM monthly (long-acting) |
| Paliperidon Heumann | Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder | Generic paliperidone; antagonist at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors | 3-12 mg once daily |
| Paliperidone | Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder | Active metabolite of risperidone; antagonist at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A | 3-12 mg once daily (oral); 39-234 mg IM monthly (long-acting injection) |
| Paliperidone Liconsa | Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder | Generic paliperidone; antagonist at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors | 3-12 mg once daily |
| Paliperidone Viatris Limited | Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder | Generic paliperidone; antagonist at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors | 3-12 mg once daily |
| Paliperidone Viatris Pharma | Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder | Generic paliperidone; antagonist at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors | 3-12 mg once daily |
| Quetiapine | Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder | Antagonist at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors with additional histami | 150-800 mg/day in divided doses (IR) or once daily (XR) |
| Risperidone | Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder | Antagonist at dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors | 2-8 mg daily |
| Rxulti | Schizophrenia, Major depressive disorder (adjunct) | Brexpiprazole is a serotonin-dopamine activity modulator with partial agonist ac | 1-4 mg once daily |
| Serdolect | Schizophrenia | Sertindole is a selective dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2 receptor antagonist | 12-20 mg once daily |
| Sycrest | Bipolar I disorder - manic episodes | Dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptor antagonist with broad receptor activit | 5-10 mg sublingually twice daily |
| Ziprasidon | Schizophrenia, Bipolar mania | Dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptor antagonist with additional 5-HT1A agon | 40-80 mg twice daily orally; 10-20 mg IM acutely |
About Atypical antipsychotic
Atypical antipsychotic share a common mechanism of action and clinical use. Specific dosing, side effects, contraindications, and drug interactions vary between individual substances within the class. Click any substance above for full prescribing information and patient guidance.
Common considerations across the class
- Indication-specific selection: Different members may be preferred for different conditions or patient populations
- Dose equivalence: Members of the same class are not always interchangeable on a 1:1 dose basis
- Drug interactions: Class members often share interaction profiles (e.g., CYP enzyme effects) but individual variation matters
- Side effects: Some side effects are class-wide; others are substance-specific
- Contraindications: Individual contraindications may not generalize across the class
Always consult the prescribing information for the specific medicine prescribed and discuss with your clinician.
Frequently asked questions
What are Atypical antipsychotic?
Atypical antipsychotic are medicines that share a common mechanism of action used for specific therapeutic indications. iMedic currently covers 21 substances in this class with detailed pages for each.
Are all Atypical antipsychotic interchangeable?
No. While medicines in the same class share a mechanism, they differ in potency, dosing, drug interactions, and tolerability. Switching between them is a clinical decision based on individual response, side effects, and treatment goals.
How do I choose between different Atypical antipsychotic?
Selection depends on the specific clinical indication, patient factors (age, comorbidities, kidney/liver function, other medications), tolerability of side effects, cost, and clinician preference. This is a prescribing decision.
Are Atypical antipsychotic available as generics?
Most well-established class members are available as generic alternatives, often substantially less expensive than brand-name versions while clinically equivalent. Newer members may still be brand-only.
Last reviewed: by iMedic Medical Editorial Team. Our editorial process.