Clozapine

An antipsychotic drug called clozapine works by assisting in the re-establishment of the proper balance of specific naturally occurring compounds (neurotransmitters) in the brain. It is primarily used to treat mental illnesses like schizophrenia and schizophrenic tendencies that did not respond well to other antipsychotic medications and in which the patient was unable to tolerate other medications because of the extrapyramidal effects of other antipsychotic drugs. This medication has a bioavailability of between 60 and 70 per cent and is processed by the liver and numerous CYP isozymes. The half-life of elimination is 4 to 26 hours. People with schizophrenia who have not responded well to previous antipsychotics or who have been unable to tolerate other medications because of extrapyramidal side effects typically use clozapine. In Parkinson's disease, it is also applied to the treatment of psychosis.  Its usage is advised by several worldwide treatment recommendations and is backed by systematic reviews and meta-analyses. It is recognised as the gold-standard therapy when other medications have not been adequately successful.  Although all current recommendations limit the use of clozapine to patients who have failed two previous antipsychotic medications, there is evidence that clozapine may be utilized as a second-line medication.   Treatment with clozapine has been shown to yield better results in a number of areas, such as a decreased risk of hospitalisation, and a decreased chance of medication cessation.