Two medicines, side by side
Haloperidol vs quetiapine
Haloperidol and quetiapine are both labeled for schizophrenia. Drugs@FDA records approvals of haloperidol since 1967 and of quetiapine since 1997. Pharmacies paid $15.60 per mL (Haloperidol dec 100 mg/mL vial) and $0.127 per quetiapine fumarate 300 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. In FDA's classes, haloperidol is a typical antipsychotic and quetiapine an atypical antipsychotic.
Check it at the source: the haloperidol FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 23, 2026); the quetiapine FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 10, 2026).
Highlights of the haloperidol record
Haloperidol (Haldol) · label of April 23, 2026
Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. Analyses of seventeen placebo-controlled trials (modal duration of 10 weeks), largely in patients taking atypical antipsychotic drugs, revealed a risk of death in drug-treated patients of between 1.6 to 1.7 times the risk of death in placebo-treated patients.
Used for
From the label: indicationsHaloperidol tablets are indicated for use in the management of manifestations of psychotic disorders. Haloperidol tablets are indicated for the control of tics and vocal utterances of Tourette’s Disorder in children and adults. Haloperidol tablets are effective for the treatment of severe behavior problems in children of combative, explosive hyperexcitability (which cannot be accounted for by immediate provocation). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- April 12, 1967
- Generic labelers
- 41 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $15.60 per mL
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 18
Highlights of the quetiapine record
Quetiapine (Seroquel) · label of April 10, 2026
INCREASED MORTALITY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA-RELATED PSYCHOSIS; and SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. SEROQUEL is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ].
Used for
From the label: indicationsSEROQUEL is an atypical antipsychotic indicated for the treatment of: • Schizophrenia ( 1.1 ) • Bipolar I disorder manic episodes (1.2) • Bipolar disorder, depressive episodes (1.2) 1.1 Schizophrenia SEROQUEL is indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia. The efficacy of SEROQUEL in schizophrenia was established in three 6-week trials in adults and one 6-week trial in adolescents (13-17 years). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- September 26, 1997
- Generic labelers
- 48 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.127 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 10
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Haloperidol label of April 23, 2026, Quetiapine label of April 10, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do haloperidol and quetiapine differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, haloperidol is a typical antipsychotic and quetiapine an atypical antipsychotic.
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
Generics: haloperidol since 1986; quetiapine since 2012 (Drugs@FDA).
| Haloperidol | Quetiapine | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Schizophrenia | Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, Depression |
| Pharmacologic class | Typical Antipsychotic | Atypical Antipsychotic |
| How it works (label) | n/a | The mechanism of action of quetiapine in the listed indications is unclear. However, the efficacy of quetiapine in these indications could be mediated through a combination of dopamine type 2 (D 2 ) and serotonin type 2 (5HT 2 ) antagonism. |
| Half-life (label) | n/a | Elimination of quetiapine is mainly via hepatic metabolism with a mean terminal half-life of about 6 hours within the proposed clinical dose range. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | April 12, 1967 | September 26, 1997 |
| First generic approved | June 10, 1986 | March 27, 2012 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 41 labelers | 48 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $15.60 per mL (Haloperidol dec 100 mg/mL vial) | $0.127 per tablet (Quetiapine fumarate 300 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | no change | -9% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Shortage now | A presentation being discontinued | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 18 | 10 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 26,054 | 191,480 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to haloperidol
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions