Clozapine

Product name: Clozapine
Generic name: Clozapine
Dosage form: Oral tablets
Packaging: Clozapine 25: Each tablet contains clozapine, 25 mg Clozapine 100: Each tablet contains clozapine, 100 mg
Drug Category: Neurology and Psychiatry

Indications:

Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic indicated for:
Treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Efficacy was established in an active-controlled study.
Reducing suicidal behavior in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Efficacy was established in an active-controlled study.

Dosage and Administration:

Starting Dose: 12.5 mg once daily or twice daily.
Use cautious titration and divided dosage schedule.
Titration: increase the total daily dosage in increments of 25 mg to 50 mg per day, if well-tolerated.
Target dose: 300 mg to 450 mg per day, in divided doses, by the end of 2 weeks.
Subsequent increases: increase in increments of 100 mg or less, once or twice weekly.
Maximum daily dose: 900 mg

Contraindication:

Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients.
Patients unable to undergo regular blood tests.
History of toxic or idiosyncratic granulocytopenia/agranulocytosis (with the exception of granulocytopenia/agranulocytosis from previous chemotherapy).
History of Clozapine-induced agranulocytosis.
Clozapine treatment must not be started concurrently with substances known to have a substantial potential for causing agranulocytosis; concomitant use of depot antipsychotics is to be discouraged
Impaired bone marrow function.
Uncontrolled epilepsy.
Alcoholic and other toxic psychoses, drug intoxication, comatose conditions.
Circulatory collapse and/or CNS depression of any cause.
Severe renal or cardiac disorders (e.g. myocarditis).
Active liver disease associated with nausea, anorexia or jaundice; progressive liver disease, hepatic failure.
Paralytic ileus