Amisulpride for treatment in schizophrenia with positive symptoms

The substituted benzamide amisulpride is an atypical neuroleptic with selective affinity for mesolimbic dopamine D-2/D-3 receptors therefore belonging to the highly selective antipsychotics. The antipsychotic efficacy regarding positive symptoms of schizophrenia has been shown in several controlled clinical trials. Improvement in acute symptomatology was similar to haloperidol and risperidone, significantly greater compared to flupentixol. In a 1 year long-term study improvement was significantly greater for amisulpride (600 mg/day) than haloperidol (15 mg/day). Regarding tolerability the number of patients having extrapyramidal side-effects was higher in haloperidol and flupentixol patients compared with amisulpride and risperidone. Higher prolactin values and endocrine events have been reported with amisulpride more frequently.