Are Atypical Antipsychotics 2Nd Generation: A Closer Look

Are atypical antipsychotics considered first or second generation? To clarify, second-generation antipsychotics, commonly referred to as atypical antipsychotics, are a category of medications that act as serotonin-dopamine antagonists. This term is often used interchangeably with “atypical antipsychotics.” This information is current as of February 26, 2023.

Atypical second-generation antipsychotics, including medications like risperidone, ziprasidone, paliperidone, and aripiprazole, belong to a class of drugs that exhibit diverse pharmacological properties in the treatment of mental health conditions. While they all share the common trait of acting as potent antagonists of dopamine D2 receptors, it’s important to note that there are variations in their D2 antagonism levels. For instance, clozapine and quetiapine, which are also part of this group, exhibit comparatively weaker D2 antagonism.

In addition to their effects on dopamine receptors, these atypical antipsychotics possess other important properties. They often act as antagonists of the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, influencing serotonin neurotransmission, and also function as agonists of the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor. This unique combination of actions on both dopamine and serotonin systems distinguishes them from typical antipsychotic medications and plays a significant role in their therapeutic effectiveness for managing various mental health disorders.

• asenapine (Saphris, Secuado)
• clozapine (Clozaril)
• iloperidone (Fanapt, Zomaril)
• lumateperone (Caplyta)
• lurasidone (Latuda)
• olanzapine (Zyprexa)
• paliperidone (Invega)
• quetiapine (Seroquel)