Review of Synthetic Approaches toward the Synthesis of Cariprazine, an Antipsychotic Drug

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder affecting 20 million people worldwide. Research has not identified the causes of schizophrenia as one single factor. It is thought that interactions between genes and a range of environmental factors may cause schizophrenia. The majority of schizophrenia cases are controlled by the use of antipsychotic drugs, such as aripiprazole, asenapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and cariprazine. Gedeon Richter and Forest Laboratories developed an antipsychotic drug known as cariprazine that contains a piperazine ring, and it is manufactured by Actavis under the trade name Vraylar. This review provides a brief background of the synthetic approaches to cariprazine.