The birth of Risperdal®

MEDI 213

Ludo E. J. Kennis, ludo.kennis@pandora.de, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical R&D LLC, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
The success of Haldol ( Haloperidol ) was a strong stimulant to look for a successor and stay in the market of psychiatry. The profile of the successor had to be “ better “ than Haldol. Chemical modification of existing antipsychotic structures has led to several candidates like milenperone and setoperone. The project also resulted in interesting candidates in other applications like domperidone, oxatomide, ketanserin and ritanserin. Finally it took 11 years in the chemical discovery for the birth of risperidone and ocaperidone. Although the positive symptoms can be controlled today, the search for an antipsychotic therapy which can also control the negative and cognitive aspects in psychiatry is still going on.