Valbenazine: Drug review

• Main Authors: Mahanjit Konwar, Nithya J Gogtay, Urmila M Thatte
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2017-01-01
• Series: Annals of Indian Psychiatry
• Subjects: Schizophrenia; tardive dyskinesia; valbenazine
• Online Access: http://www.anip.co.in/article.asp?issn=2588-8358;year=2017;volume=1;issue=2;spage=84;epage=87;aulast=Konwar

Valbenazine is the first drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of adults with tardive dyskinesia (TD) on April 11, 2017. It acts as a reversible inhibitor of vesicular monoamine transporter 2. It is available orally with a starting dose of 40 mg once daily which can be increased after 1 week to the recommended dose of 80 mg. Clinical trials showed positive outcomes in Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale and Clinical Global Impression - Global Improvement of TD score with respect to placebo. Valbenazine has an acceptable safety and tolerability profile, the most common side effect observed is somnolence. However, long-term study is lacking, and more data are required to establish its full benefits and concomitant risks which can be missed in the recent trials.