Cariprazine Add-on in Inadequate Clozapine Response: A Report on Two Cases

Abstract

Cariprazine is a novel antipsychotic drug that exerts partial agonism of dopamine D₂/D₃ receptors with preferential binding to the D₃ receptor, antagonism of 5HT_2B receptors, and partial agonism of 5HT_1A. Currently, cariprazine has shown clinical efficacy in patients with schizophrenia and with bipolar disorder, as well as adjunctive treatment in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and drug-resistant MDD. In the present case series, we report on two patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and partial response to clozapine who benefit from combination with cariprazine. The effects of cariprazine combination were remarkable also concerning the adverse metabolic effects of clozapine.