Amisulpride: a Brief Review.

Amisulpride, belonging to second generation antipsychotics, is a substituted benzamide derivative indicated for the treatment of acute and chronic schizophrenia with prominent positive and/or negative symptoms. Amisulpride has high affinity for the dopamine D2/D3 receptors. It inhibits dopamine transmission by blocking postsynaptic D2/D3 receptors in the limbic system, which is predicative of potent antipsychotic activity. The elimination half-life is 12 hours. Metabolism is limited with most of the drug excreted unchanged in the feces (64%). Clinical studies have supported that Amisulpride (400-1200mg/day) is at least as effective as Haloperidol and Risperidone and more effective than flupenthixol in acute exacerbation. In the treatment of patients with predominantly negative symptoms, Amisulpride was more effective than placebo. Recently some studies have shown it to be having efficacy in dysthymia also. Its favorable characteristics also include low incidence of EPSE and weight gain, however, it has a high incidence of prolactin elevation.