REVIEW   

Minerva Psichiatrica 2017 March;58(1):17-25

DOI: 10.23736/S0391-1772.17.01920-3

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Cariprazine (RGH-188): a new pharmacological target option for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and depression?

Laura ORSOLINI ^{1, 2, 3}, Felice IASEVOLI ⁴, Emiliano PRINZIVALLI ⁴, Alessandro VALCHERA ^{2, 3}, Michele FORNARO ⁴, Roberta VECCHIOTTI ^{2, 3}, Roberto LATINI ², Alessandro CARANO ⁵, Maurizio POMPILI ⁶, Giampaolo PERNA ^{7, 8, 9}, Federica VELLANTE ¹⁰, Ilaria MATARAZZO ¹⁰, Giovanni MARTINOTTI ¹⁰, Andrea DE BARTOLOMEIS ⁴, Massimo DI GIANNANTONIO ¹⁰, Domenico DE BERARDIS ^{2, 11} ✉

¹ School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK; ² Polyedra, Teramo, Italy; ³ Villa S. Giuseppe, Hospital Hermanas Hospitalarias, Ascoli Piceno, Italy; ⁴ Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Psychopharmacotherapeutics, Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, University School of Medicine “Federico II”, Naples, Italy; ⁵ Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital “Madonna Del Soccorso”, NHS, San Benedetto del Tronto, Ascoli Piceno, Italy; ⁶ Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; ⁷ Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Villa San Benedetto Menni, Hermanas Hospitalarias, FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Como, Italy; ⁸ Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands; ⁹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Leonard Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; ¹⁰ Department of Neurosciences and Imaging, University “G. D’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy; ¹¹ National Health Service, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment, “G. Mazzini” Hospital, Teramo, Italy

INTRODUCTION: Cariprazine (RGH-188) is a novel antipsychotic drug that exerts partial agonism of dopamine D2/D3 receptors with preferential binding to D3 receptor, antagonism of 5HT2B receptors and partial agonism of 5HT1A. Its interesting pharmacodynamic profile suggests its potential in the treatment of a plethora of psychiatric disorders. The present comprehensive review aims at summarizing the current evidence about the safety, tolerability and efficacy of Cariprazine in the treatment of schizophrenia, BD (manic/mixed/depressive episode) and MDD.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A literature search was here carried out on PubMed/Medline/Scopus and the database on Clinical Trials from inception until December 2015 by typing a set of specified keywords.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Cariprazine appears to be efficacy in the treatment of cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Preliminary findings suggest its antimanic activity whilst it is still under investigation its efficacy in the treatment of bipolar depression and MDD.
CONCLUSIONS: Further studies should be needed in order to better identify its clinical efficacy profile.

KEY WORDS: Cariprazine - Dopamine - Schizophrenia - Bipolar disorder - Depressive disorder, major - Antipsychotic agents