Are There Any Differences in the Efficacy among Second Generation Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Schizophrenia and Related Disorders?

BACKGROUND: The goal of this review is to summarize the results of head to head efficacy studies that compare second generation antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia and related disorders. METHODS: A literature search through the Medline database and Google was conducted. Articles published up to September 2005 were included. Abstracts from conference papers and posters were not included. RESULTS: Randomized controlled trial data on possible differences in efficacy among atypical antipsychotics are limited. Moreover, the comparison is difficult, as studies differ in outcome measures. The results indicate that first-line second-generation antipsychotics (amisulpride, aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, ziprasidone and zotepine) show comparable efficacy. CONCLUSION: Possible new studies should focus on long-term effects, including cost-effectiveness, quality of life, social functioning and service utilization.