The metabolism of atypical antipsychotic drugs: an update

This paper reviews the current literature describing the metabolism of both multi-receptor clozapine analogue atypical antipsychotic drugs (clozapine, olanzapine, and quetiapine) and serotonin-dopamine antagonist atypical antipsychotic drugs (risperidone, sertindole and ziprasidone), to highlight the significance of those data in the context of clinical practice. The former group of atypical antipsychotic drugs shares a similar tricyclic structural nucleus and are metabolized through three major categorical metabolic pathways--N+-oxidation, N-glucuronidation, and phases 1 and 2 biotransformation with final glucuronidation before renal excretion. Differing in clozapine and olanzapine, quetiapine has incomplete data describing its metabolism. The latter group of atypical antipsychotic drugs has diversified chemical structures and absence of data on N+-oxidation and N-glucuronidation in the literature. But their metabolic routes in phase 1 biotransformation are versatile although current data are far from completion. No apparent significant drug interactions in clinical practice are reported, although QT prolongation is implicated in all those three drugs. None of all six atypical antipsychotic drugs are identified as significant inhibitors or inducers to any co-administered medication. The author suggests the need for more research to address some pertinent clinical issues in the metabolism of those drugs.