Asenapine

Course overview

Asenapine is a second-generation, atypical, antipsychotic medication that is known to be effective in the treatment of schizophrenia in adults. Asenapine is also used for maintenance treatment in bipolar I disorder as well as treatment for acute manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults and pediatric patients 10 years and older. The pharmacological profile and option of a sublingual route of administration with asenapine make it a unique antipsychotic drug of choice in emergency psychiatry cases, the pediatric population, and for maintenance treatment of mixed mood states. Individuals experiencing a manic episode are often treated with benzodiazepines and antipsychotics, although the specific effects of antipsychotics on hostility and aggression in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder have received special attention from emergency clinicians.