Potential use of lurasidone for the treatment of bipolar psychosis.

INTRODUCTION: Second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) are new treatment options for bipolar disorders (BDs). Lurasidone is one such SGA, which is currently approved as a monotherapy for bipolar I depression (BPID) and as an add-on therapy for acute schizophrenia. AREAS COVERED: In this drug evaluation, the authors illustrate the pharmacological profile of lurasidone and review its development history. The aim of this review is to evaluate whether this compound could be used in psychotic BDs. EXPERT OPINION: The pharmacological profile of lurasidone, its action on receptors, its role in neurogenesis and its cognitive performance suggests a potential use in psychotic episodes of BDs and mania. This hypothesis is also supported by the clinical observations from case reports concerning resolutions of BPID with psychotic features, where psychotic episodes were diagnosed as schizophrenia and reclassified as BDs after the patient was able to reconstruct his/her clinical history. The use of lurasidone may have the advantage of a low side-effect profile and a possible efficacy in preventing the impairment of cognitive performance. However, randomized clinical trials assessing the efficacy of lurasidone in the treatment of manic episodes as well as manic episodes with psychotic components are still needed.