Systematic review and meta-analysis of Pimavanserin and Volinanserin in Schizophrena treatment

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that affects 1% of the population. Despite its low prevalence, it is ranked among the top fifteen leading causes of disability worldwide. Antipsychotics targeting serotonergic receptors, specifically 5-HT2A receptors, are being developed for schizophrenia treatment and continue to show promise. Pimavanserin and Volinanserin are two such atypical antipsychotics that are highly selective towards the 5-HT2A receptor. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of Volinanserin (MDL-100907) and Pimavanserin (ACP-103) to evaluate the effectiveness of these drugs in the treatment of schizophrenia. A literature search was performed using Pub-Med, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane databases. Our search strategy consisted of the following strings: Pimavanserin or ACP-103 and Volinanserin or MDL-100907 and Schizophrenia or Schizophrenia spectrum. Based on comparable outcomes of measurement (i.e., PANSS, SGI, KSS, DAI-10), Pimavanserin is a safe adjunctive treatment. However, there is not enough data to conclude efficacy. These results provide additional support for 5-HT2A as a key component for the treatment of schizophrenia. Continued research is needed on the efficacy of Pimavanserin, Volinanserin, and other drugs that target 5-HT2A receptors in the treatment of schizophrenia.