This article was first published on June 12, 2017. It was last reviewed/ updated on July 29, 2023.
Pimavanserin (US brand name Nuplazid®) is a medication that isn’t included in any other category of psychotropic medications. It is used to treat Parkinson’s disease psychosis.
On this page, we present some basic information about this medication. Other articles on this website with more advanced information and tips related to this medication are linked to under Related Pages below
FDA-approved indications
Treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis.
Pharmacological effects
Pimavanserin is an antipsychotic, but one that is very different from the first- and second-generation antipsychotics. So, how does it work? Pimavanserin is an inverse agonist and an antagonist at serotonin 2A receptors and, to a lesser extent, at serotonin 2C receptors. Wait – what is an “inverse agonist”? An inverse agonist is more than an antagonist. While an antagonist blocks the effect of the endogenous neurotransmitter at the receptor, an inverse agonist does more than that. It binds to the receptor and causes an effect opposite to that of the agonist. That’s why such drugs are called inverse agonists. Note: Others have argued that while pimavanserin appears to be an inverse agonist in the lab, this is not well-proven and that it may be an antagonist (Nutt et al., 2017). Pimavanserin has negligible binding to D1, D2, and D4 receptors and has low affinity for D3 receptors. Thus, it pretty much lacks dopamine-related effects.
Pharmacokinetics
Pimavanserin is metabolized mainly by CYP3A4/3A5.
It has an active metabolite that has a half-life of more than 200 hours.
Also, pimavanserin is a reversible inhibitor of CYP3A4.
Dosage
We can start directly, without titration, at the full dose of 34 mg by mouth once daily.
Note: I was initially confused because the clinical trials used 40 mg/day but the Prescribing Information says the dose is 34 mg/day. Then I found out what the reason is. In the clinical trials, the dose was based on pimavanserin tartrate and 20 mg of the tartrate salt is equivalent to 17 mg of pimavanserin. So the 40 mg/day dose used in clinical trials is the same as the 34 mg/day dose recommended in the Prescribing Information.
Potential side effects
Please see THIS PAGE for a handout listing both the common and less common side effects of this medication along with the percentages of patients who report them.
Potential drug interactions
Since pimavanserin is used for psychosis associated with Parkinson’s disease, the patient is likely to be on the carbidopa/levodopa combination. Will the two medications interact with each other? No. According to the Prescribing Information, no dose adjustment is needed when pimavanserin is given along with carbidopa/levodopa.
Use in special populations
The safety and efficacy of pimavanserin have not been established in pediatric patients.
No dosage adjustment is needed for mild to moderate renal impairment and elderly patients.
Pimavanserin is not recommended in severe renal impairment or with hepatic impairment as safety and efficacy have not been established in these patient populations.
Dosage forms and strengths
Nuplazid® is available as capsules of 34 mg and tablets of 10 mg.
Cost and availability
Pimavanserin is expensive. According to blinkhealth.com, the cost of 30 capsules of pimavanserin 34 mg each is about $4,800.
The other issue is that, pimavanserin is available only through specialty pharmacies.
To address both these problems, the manufacturer has a program called Acadia Connect, which is supposed to help patients with getting insurance approval and in obtaining the medication through the specialty pharmacy. Here are two screenshots from the www.nuplazidhcp.com website:
Important! Please refer to the full Prescribing Information (see link below) before prescribing this medication.
Related Pages
Does new-onset psychosis late in life predict the onset of dementia?
Parkinson’s disease psychosis: Introduction
Clinical tips on managing Parkinson’s disease psychosis
Pimavanserin (Nuplazid®): Efficacy for Parkinson’s disease psychosis
Behavioral symptoms in dementia that are unlikely to improve with an antipsychotic
Pimavanserin (Nuplazid®): Potential adverse effects
Punding in Parkinson’s disease: An overview
References
Prescribing information for Pimavanserin (Nuplazid®)
Bozymski KM, Lowe DK, Pasternak KM, Gatesman TL, Crouse EL. Pimavanserin: A Novel Antipsychotic for Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis. Ann Pharmacother. 2017 Jun;51(6):479-487. PubMed PMID: 28375643.
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As of recently has the FDA approved this medication for dementia with psychosis? I know at one point they were considering it.
Dr. Mago,
Will you do a similar presentation (like you did for pimavanserin) for brexpiprazole? Finished adult psych in 2013, and had very limited exposure to it.
Much Appreciated,
Andrea