aripiprazole vs clozapine
Side-by-side comparison of aripiprazole and clozapine Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Abilify
Clozaril
Aripiprazole (Abilify) is a medicine used to treat certain mental disorders and mood problems. It can help to improve your mood, thinking, and behavior.
Versacloz is a medicine used to treat severe schizophrenia when other medicines have not worked. It can also help lower the risk of suicidal behavior in people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
Aripiprazole is used to treat schizophrenia in adults and teens. It also treats irritability in children with autism. Additionally, it can treat Tourette's disorder.
Versacloz is used to treat schizophrenia in people who haven't responded well to other antipsychotic medicines. Schizophrenia is a mental illness that can cause hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. Versacloz can also help lower the risk of repeated suicidal behavior in people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who are at high risk.
Aripiprazole works by affecting the levels of certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin, can affect mood and behavior. By balancing these chemicals, aripiprazole helps to reduce symptoms of mental health conditions.
Versacloz works by affecting certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin, are involved in mood, behavior, and thinking. By changing the levels of these chemicals, Versacloz can help reduce symptoms of schizophrenia and lower the risk of suicidal behavior.
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Constipation
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Feeling sleepy
- • Dizziness
- • Headache
- • Shaking
- • Fast heart rate
- The medicine is not working 8,141
- Gaining weight 7,698
- Using the medicine for a condition it is not approved for 7,393
- Using the medicine for a condition it is not approved for 5,248
- Feeling worried or nervous 4,995
- Low white blood cell count 18,655
- Needing to stay in the hospital 12,101
- Death 11,398
- A mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves 4,547
- High white blood cell count 4,446
Aripiprazole may increase the risk of death in elderly patients who have psychosis related to dementia. It is not approved for this use. Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening mood or suicidal thoughts.
Versacloz can cause several serious side effects: * **Severe Neutropenia:** This means a dangerously low white blood cell count, which increases your risk of infection. You will need regular blood tests to check your white blood cell count. * **Orthostatic Hypotension, Bradycardia, and Syncope:** This means low blood pressure when standing up, slow heart rate, and fainting. These are most likely when you first start taking Versacloz or when the dose is increased. * **Seizures:** Versacloz can increase your risk of seizures, especially at higher doses. * **Myocarditis, Pericarditis, and Cardiomyopathy:** These are serious heart problems that can be fatal. Tell your doctor right away if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or other heart-related symptoms. * **Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis:** Elderly patients with dementia who take antipsychotic medicines like Versacloz have an increased risk of death.
If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor. Aripiprazole may cause withdrawal symptoms or other problems in newborns if taken during the third trimester. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take aripiprazole during pregnancy.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Babies born to mothers who take Versacloz in the third trimester may have withdrawal symptoms or other problems after birth. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take atypical antipsychotics like Versacloz.
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How to Read This aripiprazole vs clozapine Comparison
aripiprazole is classified in the Atypical Antipsychotic drug class, while clozapine sits within the Atypical Antipsychotic class. Because both drugs share the same classification, they are often considered interchangeable in theory — but clinical outcomes rarely track that cleanly. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, aripiprazole has 33,475 submissions while clozapine has 51,147. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between aripiprazole and clozapine — always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.