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aripiprazole (Abilify Maintena / Lu AF41155 / aripiprazole ERIS)

✓ Approved

Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. · DRD2 · Small Molecule

What is aripiprazole?

aripiprazole is a small molecule developed by Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.. It is approved for therapeutic indications via injectable (others) or intramuscular (im) injection.

Drug Profile

Brand NamesAbilify Maintena, Lu AF41155, aripiprazole ERIS
CompanyOtsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.
Drug ClassSmall Molecule
Molecular TargetDRD2, HTR1A, HTR2A
RouteInjectable (Others), Intramuscular (IM) Injection
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.

Mechanism of Action

Molecular Targets

aripiprazole acts on 3 molecular targets:

DRD2dopamine receptor D2 (D2DR, D2R)
HTR1A5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1A (PFMCD, 5-HT1A)
HTR2A5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A (5-HT2A, HTR2)
Want deeper analysis?Noah AI can explain complex mechanisms and compare to similar drugs.

Therapeutic Indications

aripiprazole is developed for 2 unique indications across 1 therapeutic area.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Psychiatric disordersSchizophrenia✓ Approved
Psychiatric disordersBipolar disorder✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedInternational journal of pharmaceutics2026-07-25

Droplet microfluidic fabrication of dimpled poly(lactic acid)-poloxamer microparticles for tuneable depot formulations.

Balla Evangelia E, Bikiaris Nikolaos D ND, Christodoulou Ermis P EP, Zamboulis Alexandra A et al.

The development of long-acting injectable (LAI) formulations with precise control over drug release and high batch-to-batch reproducibility remains a major challenge, primarily due to limited control over particle formation dynamics and internal microstructure. Here, we integrate droplet microfluidics with newly synthesized poly(lactic acid)-poloxamer-poly(lactic acid) (PLA_PLU_PLA) triblock copolymers (having 0.05 to 0.2 wt% PLU) to engineer drug-loaded microparticles (MPs) with controlled interfacial assembly and phase behaviour. This approach enabled the reproducible fabrication of highly monodisperse MPs (coefficient of variation for MPs' size was below 10%) with tuneable size and morphology. MPs with diameters ranging from 34.8 ± 0.9 to 44.4 ± 1.6 μm were produced, while systematic variation of PLU content enabled precise modulation of surface architecture, producing golf-ball-like dimples and reduced porosity at higher and lower PLU content, respectively. This transition suggests PLU-dependent modulation of interfacial tension and phase segregation during solvent extraction, governing surface characteristics. Enzymatic degradation studies revealed a non-linear dependence on composition, with 0.1 wt% PLU MPs exhibiting the slowest degradation (10.7 ± 1.5% weight loss at 20 days), indicating a balance between hydrophilicity-driven water uptake and reduced matrix accessibility. Using paliperidone palmitate (PP) as a model active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), MPs with intermediate PLU content showed the most prolonged release profile (∼ 42% over 14 days), with phenomenological release modelling suggesting a balance between diffusional transport and matrix erosion governed by composition-dependent characteristic. Drug loading and encapsulation efficiency (11.8-16.5% and 68.0-88.0%, respectively) were composition-dependent, reflecting altered API-copolymer partitioning. Collectively, these findings establish the use of droplet microfluidics combined with rational PLA/PLU triblock copolymer design as a powerful and versatile platform for engineering next-generation depot formulations with tuneable MPs' morphology, degradation, and drug release performance.

PMID 42497937
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PubMedJournal of the American Pharmacists Association : JAPhA2026-07-25

Artificial intelligence and machine learning in pharmaceutical research and healthcare: Ethical challenges and a framework for responsible implementation.

Hajjo Rima R, Abusara Osama H OH, Sabbah Dima A DA, Zidan Rahaf R et al.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are transforming pharmaceutical research and healthcare by enabling analysis of large-scale biomedical data and supporting data-driven decision-making. However, their rapid integration has introduced significant ethical, governance, and implementation challenges that remain insufficiently synthesized within a unified framework. This work aims to synthesize the central ethical challenges and paradoxes associated with AI and ML in pharmaceutical and healthcare contexts and to develop a structured, actionable governance framework to guide responsible implementation. We conducted a narrative review using structured searches of PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar (January 2015-February 2026). We screened peer-reviewed, English-language publications addressing AI/ML applications or associated ethical considerations and synthesized evidence thematically. A total of 127 studies were synthesized, revealing interconnected ethical challenges, including bias, accountability, privacy, and equity, affecting patient safety and trust. The literature clustered across pharmaceutical research, clinical decision support, and governance, informing a structured, ethics centered framework with three pillars including technical excellence and safety, robust governance and trust, and human-centered values, along with cross-cutting enablers. Successful integration of AI/ML into pharmaceutical research and healthcare requires addressing its inherent ethical paradox. By linking interconnected challenges to a structured, actionable governance framework, this study provides practical guidance for implementing trustworthy, equitable, and human-centered AI, with direct implications for patient safety, clinical practice, and policy.

PMID 42498132
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PubMedJournal of environmental sciences (China)2026-07-25

Does the use of pharmaceuticals for bullfrog farming pose health risks to humans?

Sun Qiongping Q, Zhan Han H, Li Yiyin Y, Liu Junxian J et al.

As global food demand is projected to rise in the future due to population growth, animal husbandry has been increasingly promoted worldwide. Yet, pharmaceuticals are extensively used for animal husbandry to prevent disease outbreaks, possibly posing human health risks via consumption of pharmaceutical-contaminated animals. Using a typical bullfrog farm as the study site, this study assessed the accumulation of pharmaceuticals in bullfrogs at different ages (juveniles vs. adults) from different origins (cultured vs. wild). The health risk of bullfrog consumption was then evaluated with the consideration of different cooking methods (steaming, pan-frying and deep-frying). Different types of pharmaceuticals were detected in the culture ponds, where sulfonamides (SAs) and fluoroquinolones (FQs) were predominant in water and sediment (> 60 % of total pharmaceutical concentration), respectively. Regardless of ages and origins, the intestine and stomach of bullfrogs had higher pharmaceutical concentrations than their muscle, skin and liver. Wild bullfrogs tended to accumulate more pharmaceuticals, particularly FQs, than cultured bullfrogs. Nevertheless, the health risk of bullfrog consumption was low (HR < 1), especially when the bullfrogs were well cooked by steaming that reduced pharmaceutical concentrations. This risk can be further lowered by avoiding the consumption of internal organs. Taken together, this study provides useful guidance for the public to minimize dietary intake of persistent pollutants and suggests that proper use of pharmaceuticals is promising for producing safe animal food products on a large scale, possibly serving as an important solution to the future increase in global food demand.

PMID 42498404
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PubMedJournal of pharmaceutical sciences2026-07-25

Efficacy of ultraviolet irradiation of pharmaceutical excipients in mitigating N-nitrosamine generation.

Minamioka Saki S, Matsuzawa Shun S, Yoshihara Naoki N, Oikawa Michinori M et al.

The generation of N-nitrosamine compounds (NOCs) in drugs presents a critical regulatory challenge owing to their potential mutagenicity and exceptionally strict acceptable intake limits required for patient safety. These impurities arise primarily from the reaction between amine-containing active pharmaceutical ingredients and trace amounts of nitrosating agents (reactive NOx), which contribute to N-nitrosation. Reactive NOx species are frequently found in pharmaceutical excipients. Therefore, efficiently reducing reactive NOx is essential for robust management of the risk posed by NOCs. In this study, we employed ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of excipients as a novel preemptive strategy to reduce reactive NOx levels. Desloratadine was used as a secondary amine model to evaluate the generation of N-nitrosamine in physical mixtures with various excipients. The excipients were exposed to different UV wavelengths (248, 313, and 365 nm), and N-nitrosodesloratadine (NDLRT) generation was quantified after storage under stress conditions. We found that 365 nm UV irradiation was the most effective in reducing reactive NOx under all conditions. In a formulation study, 365 nm UV irradiation successfully reduced NDLRT generation in the tablet by 54-68% compared with the control. Overall, the novel strategy described herein should be useful for reducing NOCs without affecting the quality of drugs.

PMID 42497957
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PubMedThe International journal of risk & safety in medicine2026-07-25

Heavy metal contamination in pharmaceuticals: A narrative review of prevalence, health risks, and regulatory gaps in Nigeria.

Ogungbe Blessing Abraham BA, Atanda David Ololade DO, Bepo Janet Adedoyin JA, Akinyemi Adedamola Akin AA

Pharmaceutical quality and safety are critical to public health, yet low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria remain vulnerable to medicine safety challenges due to weak regulatory enforcement and limited market surveillance. A major concern is contamination of pharmaceutical products with toxic heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, nickel, and chromium. These metals can bioaccumulate and cause adverse health effects even at low concentrations, such as neurodevelopmental impairment, renal and hepatic dysfunction, reproductive toxicity, and cardiovascular complications. This narrative review synthesised evidence on the prevalence of heavy metal contamination in pharmaceuticals marketed in Nigeria, associated health risks, and the adequacy of existing regulatory frameworks.Relevant literature published between 2005 and 2025 was identified through a comprehensive literature search of major databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, African Journals Online, and Scopus, supplemented with reports from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the World Health Organisation, and grey literature. Studies assessing industrially manufactured or over-the-counter medicines for heavy metal contamination in Nigeria were included.The findings reveal recurrent contamination across several pharmaceutical categories, particularly syrups, locally manufactured analgesics, and herbal preparations. Lead and cadmium were the most frequently reported contaminants, with some products containing multiple metals and exceeding pharmacopeial limits. Heavy metal exposure induces oxidative stress and cellular damage, contributing to kidney injury, neurotoxicity, haematological effects, and endocrine disruption. Children, pregnant women, individuals with renal impairment, and frequent users of herbal medicines were identified as particularly vulnerable. Overall, heavy metal contamination remains a significant medicine safety concern in Nigeria, highlighting the need for stronger regulation, improved analytical capacity, and risk-based surveillance.

PMID 42499143
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PubMedAmerican journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons2026-07-25

Contraception Use Differs Across Solid Organ Transplant Types Among Women Transplanted in Reproductive Age.

Cooper Katherine M KM, Mahle Rachael E RE, Joyal Kayla K, Le Mariesa M et al.

There are a growing number of reproductive age solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, yet comparative data on contraception use across organ types are limited. We performed a retrospective cohort study of women who underwent first-time liver, kidney, heart, or lung transplantation between the ages of 18 and 45 from 2015 and 2025 using TriNetX (n=10,155). Contraception uptake within two years was assessed by organ, including patterns of initial contraceptive choice and subsequent changes in contraception choice, and clinical outcomes, including osteoporosis, thromboembolism, and graft rejection, were compared by contraception type. Among 10,155 eligible SOTR, 19.9% had documented contraception within two years of SOT (heart 27.3%, lung 22.5%, kidney 19.7%, liver 16.8%, p<0.001). Combined oral contraception was the most common initial contraception method, followed by depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). However, those who started on DMPA were more likely to switch medications. Compared with no contraception, DMPA was associated with increased osteoporosis, hypertension, thrombosis, and graft rejection, whereas estradiol-containing agents were not. Overall, contraception use after SOT was extremely uncommon with exceedingly low rates of highly effective options, particularly after liver and kidney transplant. Higher switching and adverse associations with DMPA support early, organ-tailored contraceptive counseling and careful method selection post-SOT.

PMID 42498172
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