Cariprazine in Bipolar Depression and Mania: State of the Art

Abstract

Background & Objective: Cariprazine is a piprazine derivative approved by the FDA in 2015 for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar manic or mixed episodes in adults. High affinity for D3 dopamine receptors and observed actions on 5HT1A, 5HT2A and alpha 1B receptors differentiate it pharmacologically from other antipsychotics. This review is a comprehensive and thorough summary of the most important findings on cariprazine use in bipolar mania and depression. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenetics, tolerability and safety adverse effects are discussed in this paper. Results & Conclusion: Moreover, the results from pivotal clinical trials are presented. Cariprazine represents an additional option for clinicians to treat patients with bipolar disorder. It shows a unique pharmacological profile and has demonstrated in randomized clinical trials efficacy and general tolerability compared to placebo in bipolar mania and seem to be a promising therapeutic option for bipolar depression.