Clozapine - Medical Uses

Medical Uses

Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug primarily prescribed to patients who are unresponsive to or intolerant of conventional neuroleptics. It is used principally in treating treatment-resistant schizophrenia, a term used for the failure of symptoms to respond satisfactorily to at least two different antipsychotics; It clearly has been shown to be more effective in reducing symptoms of schizophrenia than the older typical antipsychotics, with maximal effects in those who have responded poorly to other medication; though the relapse rate is lower and patient acceptability better, this has not translated to significant observed benefits in global functioning. There is some evidence clozapine may reduce propensity for substance abuse in schizophrenic patients.

It is also used for reducing the risk of suicide in patients judged to belong to a high-risk group with chronic risk for suicidal behavior. Clozapine was shown to prolong the time to suicidal attempt significantly greater than olanzapine.

Clozapine works well against positive (e.g., delusions, hallucinations) and negative (e.g. emotional and social withdrawal) symptoms of schizophrenia. It has no dyscognitive effect often seen with other psychoactive drugs and is even able to increase the capabilities of the patient to react to this environment and thereby fosters social rehabilitation. There has been one case report of successful use of clozapine in isolated increase in creatine kinase (in absence of neuroleptic malignant syndrome) in a patient with schizophrenia where other atypical antipsychotics were not successful.