The treatment of psychotic disorders: currents and perspectives in pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Novel formulations and new routes of administration for psychotropic drugs can offer advantages over older formulations in terms of efficacy, tolerability and compliance. Short-acting and long-acting preparations are useful alternatives to the traditional formulations, which can provide more acceptable forms of medication for patients. Short-acting formulations has substantially advantages in terms of speed of onset of action and are useful for managing acute psychotic episodes. Long-acting formulations were developed to improve the long term treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, ensuring compliance and/or eliminating bioavailability problems related to absorption and first-pass methabolism [1]. In our own studies we have recently concentrated on the possibility of deliver antipsychotic agents in innovative formulations starting from the evaluation of alternative routes of administration and non conventional drug delivery technologies. In particular, transdermal patches [2] and nasal [3] mucoadhesive systems have been investigated with the aim of altering the pharmacokinetics of orally and parenterally administered drugs in a fashion that can enhance their pharmacologic profiles. On the other hand the use of innovative technological process for tablet production, such as extrusion in the presence of ultrasonic waves, has been evaluated for reaching an extended drug release after oral administration and thus a more efficacious long-term management to improve treatment compliance. [1] S. Keith, Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry (2006) 30, 996-1008. [2] W. Oertel, J.S. Ross, K. Eggert, G. Adler, Neurology (2007) 69, S4-9. [3] L. Illum, J. Control. Release (2003) 87, 187-198.