Affiliations: Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Outcomes Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Ismaeel Yunusa, PharmD, PhD, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Outcomes Sciences, University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. Tel.: +803 777 7888; E-mail: iyunusa@mailbox.sc.edu.
Abstract: The recent Alva et al. Phase 3b study on pimavanserin use in older adults with neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), specifically including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease (with or without dementia), frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies, provides important new data on its safety for managing neuropsychiatric symptoms in this population. This commentary on the study further examines the findings within the broader context of antipsychotic therapy as it has evolved from chlorpromazine to pimavanserin in a continuous search for greater safety. Comparing pimavanserin’s safety and efficacy profile with historical data and regulatory milestones provides a nuanced perspective for clinicians regarding the significance of the drug’s known advantages over prior antipsychotic treatments. More research is needed to determine the full potential of pimavanserin to improve neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults with NDDs.
