The Modernization of Clozapine: A Recapitulation of the Past in the United States and the View Forward

In this podcast, Dr. Jonathan Leung discusses the article, "The Modernization of Clozapine: A Recapitulation of the Past in the United States and the View Forward," published with several colleagues in the November-December 2022 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (Volume 42, Issue 6). Dr. Leung, lead author of the review article, is a psychiatric pharmacist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and faculty member at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Clozapine is a unique life-saving drug for treatment-resistant schizophrenia and reduction in risk of recurrent suicidal behavior in schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, but it is underused in the United States despite its established efficacy. Clozapine's benefits for reduction of suicidality may extend to other uses as well, although more rigorous studies are needed. The article and podcast discuss the history of FDA approval for clozapine, hematologic monitoring requirements that have been viewed as cumbersome, as well as other barriers related to clozapine use.