A new medication known as Rexulti has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and released onto the market in 2015. Rexulti is an antipsychotic, used to treat a variety of disorders including schizophrenia and major depression.

Rexulti was developed to be a newer drug similar to the antipsychotic Abilify, which according to an Abilify FDA warning letter has been associated with significant side effects, including compulsive behaviors like gambling, shopping, and sexual addiction. Because Rexulti is essentially Abilify’s successor, with a very similar profile, it is possible that the side effects will be similar for patients taking Rexulti.

Background of Abilify and Rexulti

Abilify (also known by its generic name, aripiprazole) is a popular antipsychotic medication manufactured jointly by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals and Bristol-Myers Squibb and approved by the FDA back in 2002. Used to treat schizophrenia and depression, Abilify has increased in popularity and now brings in billions of dollars annually.

However, Abilify has also been linked in post-marketing reports with compulsive gambling, shopping, and sexual addictions, whether or not patients had a prior history with these problems.

The newer drug Rexulti, approved just in 2015, may have similar complications for patients because of its other similarities with Abilify. Both antipsychotics are part of a class of drugs known as dopamine D2 receptor partial agonists, and both function by activating or blocking specific serotonin receptors, making their profiles very similar. One key difference is that Rexulti is an even more potent medication than Abilify is.

Unfortunately, the similarities between these drugs may mean that patients taking Rexulti face a similar risk of the major side effects associated with Abilify, most notably compulsive behaviors.

Side Effects of Abilify and Rexulti

Of course, any medication will come with certain mild or rare side effects, but patients claim that the dangers of Abilify may outweigh the drug’s benefits. The Abilify FDA warning letter does not warn about the risk of compulsive behaviors like gambling addiction, nor does the warning label for Rexulti. Without being notified of these risks in an Abilify FDA warning letter, patients and medical professionals can be left unaware of these dangers.

A study published by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) found that drugs like Abilify and Rexulti that affect dopamine receptors may lead to “severe impulse control disorders” in certain people. This is caused when the dopamine system releases pleasurable feelings that encourage a person to keep doing the activity making them feel that way, which can lead to certain behaviors becoming compulsive.

While compulsive behaviors may not cause direct physical harm, they can have a dramatic impact on a person’s day-to-day life, their finances, and their families. Compulsive gambling and shopping behaviors, for example, may land people in deep debt.

For those suffering from compulsive behavior problems, it can be extremely difficult to recover. Even when patients do manage to recover from the mental effects of Abilify and compulsive behavior, they may still be left with severe financial consequences.

Filing an Abilify or Rexulti Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered from compulsive behaviors while taking Abilify or Rexulti, you may able to join an Abilify lawsuit investigation. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the mental anguish or suffering caused by these compulsive behaviors, it can help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by some of these problems, as well as compensate for the necessary treatment.