Ziprasidone: long-term benefits in bipolar disorder

The atypical antipsychotic ziprasidone [Geodon] is an effective maintenance therapy for bipolar disorder, according to studies presented at the 157th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) [New York, US; May 2004]. These studies showed that, when given as monotherapy or in addition to lithium for approximately one year, ziprasidone produced durable improvements in mania and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, long-term treatment with ziprasidone with or without lithium, was well tolerated, with no significant increases in bodyweight or serum lipid levels observed.