Brexpiprazole: A Review in Schizophrenia

Oral brexpiprazole (Rexulti(®)) is a partial dopamine D2 agonist, which also has activity at several other receptors. This article reviews the pharmacological properties of brexpiprazole and its clinical efficacy and tolerability in patients with schizophrenia; its use in patients with major depressive disorder is beyond the scope of this review. Brexpiprazole 2-4 mg/day was generally effective in short-term, phase III studies at improving Positive and Negative Symptom Scale scores and other schizophrenia symptoms in patients with acute schizophrenia. Moreover, maintenance treatment with brexpiprazole 1-4 mg/day was associated with a significantly longer time to exacerbation of disease or impending relapse than placebo. The drug was well tolerated in clinical trials, with most serious adverse events in the short term being associated with the underlying disorder. Overall, oral brexpiprazole is a useful treatment option for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia.