Nuplazid

Hallucinations, Parkinson Disease, Delusions

Treatment

4 FDA approvals

3 Active Studies for Nuplazid

What is Nuplazid

Pimavanserin

The Generic name of this drug

Treatment Summary

Pimavanserin, sold under the brand name Nuplazid, is a drug used to treat psychosis related to Parkinson's disease. It is different from other drugs used for this condition because it does not affect dopamine receptors, reducing the risk of side effects such as extrapyramidal symptoms. It was first approved by the FDA in 2016 and is now being studied for its potential to treat dementia-related psychosis. However, as of April 2021, it has not received FDA approval for this indication.

Nuplazid

is the brand name

image of different drug pills on a surface

Nuplazid Overview & Background

Brand Name

Generic Name

First FDA Approval

How many FDA approvals?

Nuplazid

Pimavanserin

2016

3

Approved as Treatment by the FDA

Pimavanserin, otherwise known as Nuplazid, is approved by the FDA for 4 uses including Parkinson's Disease Psychosis and Parkinson Disease .

Parkinson's Disease Psychosis

Helps manage Parkinson's Disease Psychosis

Parkinson Disease

Helps manage Parkinson's Disease Psychosis

Delusions

Helps manage delusional thinking

Hallucinations

Helps manage Hallucinations

Effectiveness

How Nuplazid Affects Patients

Pimavanserin works differently than other treatments to reduce hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease. In clinical trials, the majority of patients (80.5%) reported an improvement in symptoms after taking pimavanserin. It also does not worsen motor functioning in these patients.

How Nuplazid works in the body

Pimavanserin works to treat hallucinations and delusions caused by Parkinson's Disease by affecting the balance of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. It does this by acting on serotonin 5-HT2A receptors and having limited effects on serotonin 5-HT2C receptors. Pimavanserin also does not affect muscarinic, dopaminergic, adrenergic, or histaminergic receptors, which prevents it from causing unwanted side effects.

When to interrupt dosage

The recommended measure of Nuplazid is contingent upon the diagnosed condition, such as Parkinson's Disease Psychosis, Hallucinations and Delusions. The amount of dosage is dependent on the administration technique (e.g. Tablet, coated or Capsule) provided in the table below.

Condition

Dosage

Administration

Hallucinations

, 17.0 mg, 10.0 mg, 34.0 mg

Oral, , Tablet, coated, Tablet, coated - Oral, Capsule, Capsule - Oral

Parkinson Disease

, 17.0 mg, 10.0 mg, 34.0 mg

Oral, , Tablet, coated, Tablet, coated - Oral, Capsule, Capsule - Oral

Delusions

, 17.0 mg, 10.0 mg, 34.0 mg

Oral, , Tablet, coated, Tablet, coated - Oral, Capsule, Capsule - Oral

Warnings

Nuplazid Contraindications

Condition

Risk Level

Notes

Severe Hypersensitivity Reactions

Do Not Combine

Pimavanserin may interact with known hypersensitivity to the drug or any of the ingredients

There are 20 known major drug interactions with Nuplazid.

Common Nuplazid Drug Interactions

Drug Name

Risk Level

Description

Amisulpride

Minor

Pimavanserin may increase the neurotoxic activities of Amisulpride.

Amitriptylinoxide

Minor

Pimavanserin may increase the neurotoxic activities of Amitriptylinoxide.

Amperozide

Minor

Pimavanserin may increase the neurotoxic activities of Amperozide.

Aripiprazole lauroxil

Minor

Pimavanserin may increase the neurotoxic activities of Aripiprazole lauroxil.

Asenapine

Minor

Pimavanserin may increase the neurotoxic activities of Asenapine.

Nuplazid Toxicity & Overdose Risk

There is limited information available regarding the toxicity of pimavanserin. In clinical trials, nausea and vomiting have been reported as side effects. There is no known cure for an overdose of this drug, so medical professionals should begin monitoring the patient's heart and ECG immediately. If antiarrhythmic drugs are necessary, doctors should avoid those that may cause an extended QT interval, such as disopyramide, procainamide, or quinidine. It is important to note that pimavanserin stays in the bloodstream for up to 57 hours, and there may be multiple drugs involved in the overdose.

image of a doctor in a lab doing drug, clinical research

Nuplazid Novel Uses: Which Conditions Have a Clinical Trial Featuring Nuplazid?

11 active clinical trials are presently in progress to assess the effectiveness of Nuplazid in addressing Delusions, Parkinson's Disease Psychosis and Hallucinations.

Condition

Clinical Trials

Trial Phases

Delusions

0 Actively Recruiting

Parkinson Disease

3 Actively Recruiting

Phase 4, Phase 2

Hallucinations

0 Actively Recruiting

Nuplazid Reviews: What are patients saying about Nuplazid?

5

Patient Review

2/4/2017

Nuplazid for Psychosis associated with Parkinson's Disease

This medicine has been an absolute blessing. It's allowed me to spend more quality time with my dad, and the doctor was happy to prescribe it. The company does a lot of outreach to make sure we get the pills and works with the insurance, which is great.

5

Patient Review

2/6/2017

Nuplazid for Psychosis associated with Parkinson's Disease

This medication did exactly what it said it would do with no negative side effects that I experienced.

4.3

Patient Review

11/6/2016

Nuplazid for Psychosis associated with Parkinson's Disease

This treatment is really effective. I'm so glad I found it!

4

Patient Review

11/18/2017

Nuplazid for Psychosis associated with Parkinson's Disease

I felt confused and lightheaded after taking this medication, but the hallucinations went away.

3.7

Patient Review

3/29/2019

Nuplazid for Psychosis associated with Parkinson's Disease

It took a little while for this medication to start working, but when it did, I saw amazing results for two weeks. However, the hallucinations and confusion came back after that. Plus, the co-pay is really expensive. Not sure if it's worth it.

2.3

Patient Review

10/25/2017

Nuplazid for Psychosis associated with Parkinson's Disease

I started having extreme confusion after taking just two Nuplazid pills per day. I also began waking up several times during the night, which made the confusion worse since I couldn't get enough rest. I ended up stopping the medication after seven weeks because it was too much for me to handle.

2

Patient Review

12/7/2016

Nuplazid for Psychosis associated with Parkinson's Disease

This treatment made my condition worse.

1.7

Patient Review

5/16/2017

Nuplazid for Psychosis associated with Parkinson's Disease

Made my condition much worse. The first dose put me in a coma for 12 hours, and subsequent doses caused me to have "alternate personalities" that were very mean. Once we stopped taking the drug (we only ever took 17mg, or one pill), the personalities went away but the psychosis remained and I also developed OCD.
image of drug pills surrounding a glass of water symbolizing drug consumption

Patient Q&A Section about nuplazid

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.

What is NUPLAZID for Parkinson's?

"Nuplazid (pimavanserin) is an oral medication that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with [Parkinson's disease](https://www.withpower.com/clinical-trials/parkinson's-disease) psychosis. People with Parkinson's disease often experience symptoms such as tremors, limb stiffness, impaired balance, and slow movement."

Answered by AI

How long does it take for NUPLAZID to work?

"If you're taking NUPLAZID to treat hallucinations and delusions related to Parkinson's disease, you may start to see improvements in as little as 4 weeks. However, it can take up to 6 weeks to feel the full effects of the medication. You shouldn't stop taking NUPLAZID without first talking to your healthcare provider."

Answered by AI

Is NUPLAZID an antipsychotic?

"It's important to note that Nuplazid has a boxed warning about people with dementia-related psychosis who are not taking antipsychotic drugs for Parkinson's disease."

Answered by AI

What is the drug NUPLAZID used for?

"The FDA approved Nuplazid in 2016 to treat visual hallucinations and delusions caused by [Parkinson's disease](https://www.withpower.com/clinical-trials/parkinson's-disease) psychosis. Parkinson's disease psychosis may be caused by the disease itself or by medications used to treat it."

Answered by AI

Clinical Trials for Nuplazid

Image of VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA in Loma Linda, United States.

Pimavanserin vs. Quetiapine for Psychosis in Parkinson's Disease

40 - No maximum age
All Sexes
Loma Linda, CA

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) sometimes experience symptoms affecting their movement, such as slowness, tremor, stiffness, and balance or walking problems. Many patients also have other symptoms not related to movement, called non-motor symptoms, which may affect one's mood or emotions, memory or thinking, or cause one to see or hear things that aren't real (hallucinations) or believe things that aren't true (delusions). Hallucinations or delusions, together called psychosis, occur in up to 60% of PD patients at some point in time. Parkinson's disease psychosis can sometimes be associated with decreased quality of life, increased nursing home placement, increased rate of death, and greater caregiver burden. There are approximately 50,000 Veterans with Parkinson's disease receiving care in the VA, and up to 30,000 (60%) of them will experience psychosis at some point in time. Quetiapine is an antipsychotic drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that is the most commonly used medication to treat PD psychosis, but more studies are needed to determine if it works for this condition and is also well tolerated and safe. Pimavanserin is a newer antipsychotic drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically to treat PD psychosis, but more studies are needed to determine if it works and its safety. The purpose of this research is to gather additional information on the safety and effectiveness of both Quetiapine and Pimavanserin. By doing this study, the investigators hope to learn which of these medications is the most effective course of treatment for people with PD psychosis. Enrollment is open to Veterans nationwide, see your VA provider about the possibility of being referred to one of the study's Hub sites. This can be done through contact from your provider to the study's NSC (Tamara Boney at 267-303-9829).

Phase 4
Recruiting
Quick Reply

VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA (+18 Sites)

Daniel Weintraub, MD