CHAPTER 3: Monoaminergic Approaches for Treatment of Schizophrenia

Since the discovery of haloperidol in the 1950s, monoaminergic receptors have provided a number of potential targets for treatment of schizophrenia. This chapter will survey the profiles of existing dopaminergic-based antipsychotic drugs and review recent medicinal chemistry approaches that engage other monoaminergic receptors to discover novel agents for treatment of schizophrenia. In addition to single-target approaches, attempts to discover molecules that interact selectively (i.e. designed to bind) with more than a single receptor to provide effective antipsychotic agents will be reviewed. These efforts highlight attempts to address unmet needs with existing therapy, including efficacy in a broader range of patients of this complex and debilitating disease.