Asenapine, iloperidone and lurasidone: critical appraisal of the most recently approved pharmacotherapies for schizophrenia in adults.

This article reviews the pharmacological profile and published efficacy and tolerability/safety data of iloperidone, asenapine and lurasidone, the most recent atypical antipsychotics to be approved in the USA for the treatment of schizophrenia. All three agents are similar in terms of overall efficacy and low propensity for clinically significant weight gain or adverse changes in glycemic or lipid profile. However, these agents differ from one another in terms of formulations, pharmacokinetics, and dosing and nonmetabolic adverse effect profile. For each drug, comparative and real-world effectiveness studies are lacking, as are effectiveness and safety data in elderly, young and pregnant/nursing patients. As such, the exact place of iloperidone, asenapine and lurasidone within the broader antipsychotic armamentarium is currently difficult to establish.