As for the now very low-cost first-generation antipsychotic agents, Dr. Nasrallah said there’s no reason to use them with nine atypical agents on the market.
"Just because the price is low doesn’t justify making people’s lives miserable, in my opinion," he said, citing data showing that the 1-year incidence of tardive dyskinesia with conventional antipsychotics is about 5% in young adults and 25% in the elderly – rates 10-fold higher than with atypical antipsychotics.
"I used those drugs for 20 years, but now I wouldn’t give them to my family, so why should I give them to my patients?" he said.
Dr. Nasrallah disclosed that he serves as a consultant for AstraZeneca, Janssen, Pfizer, Merck, DSP, and Novartis. He receives research grant support from numerous pharmaceutical companies as well as the National Institute of Mental Health.