Two medicines, side by side
Lurasidone vs ziprasidone
Lurasidone and ziprasidone are both labeled for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Drugs@FDA records approvals of lurasidone since 2010 and of ziprasidone since 2001. Pharmacies paid $0.142 per lurasidone HCl 20 mg tablet and $0.269 per ziprasidone HCl 20 mg capsule (NADAC, October 7, 2026). How each works, in its label's words: Lurasidone, “The mechanism of action of lurasidone in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar depression is unclear.”; Ziprasidone, “The mechanism of action of ziprasidone in the treatment of the listed indications could be mediated through a combination of dopamine type 2 (D 2 ) and serotonin type 2 (5HT 2 ) antagonism.”
Check it at the source: the lurasidone FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 31, 2025); the ziprasidone FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 20, 2026).
Highlights of the lurasidone record
Lurasidone (Latuda) · label of January 31, 2025
INCREASED MORTALITY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA-RELATED PSYCHOSIS; and SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS WARNING: INCREASED MORTALITY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA-RELATED PSYCHOSIS; and SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. LATUDA is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis ( 5.1 ).
Used for
From the label: indicationsLATUDA is indicated for: Treatment of adult and adolescent patients (13 to 17 years) with schizophrenia [see Clinical Studies ( 14.1 )]. Monotherapy treatment of adult and pediatric patients (10 to 17 years) with major depressive episode associated with bipolar I disorder (bipolar depression) [see Clinical Studies ( 14.2 )]. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 28, 2010
- Generic labelers
- 28 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.142 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
Highlights of the ziprasidone record
Ziprasidone (Geodon) · label of July 20, 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. Ziprasidone capsules are not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. WARNING: INCREASED MORTALITY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA-RELATED PSYCHOSIS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning.
Used for
From the label: indicationsZiprasidone capsules are indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia, as monotherapy for the acute treatment of bipolar manic or mixed episodes, and as an adjunct to lithium or valproate for the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- February 5, 2001
- Generic labelers
- 23 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.269 per capsule
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 1
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Lurasidone label of January 31, 2025, Ziprasidone label of July 20, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do lurasidone and ziprasidone differ on the record?
How each works, in its label's words: Lurasidone, “The mechanism of action of lurasidone in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar depression is unclear.”; Ziprasidone, “The mechanism of action of ziprasidone in the treatment of the listed indications could be mediated through a combination of dopamine type 2 (D 2 ) and serotonin type 2 (5HT 2 ) antagonism.”
Both are in FDA's class atypical antipsychotics.
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
Generics: lurasidone since 2019; ziprasidone since 2012 (Drugs@FDA).
| Lurasidone | Ziprasidone | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, Depression | Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia |
| Pharmacologic class | Atypical Antipsychotic | Atypical Antipsychotic |
| How it works (label) | The mechanism of action of lurasidone in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar depression is unclear. | The mechanism of action of ziprasidone in the treatment of the listed 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 ziprasidone is mainly via hepatic metabolism with a mean terminal half-life of about 7 hours within the proposed clinical dose range. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | October 28, 2010 | February 5, 2001 |
| First generic approved | January 3, 2019 | March 2, 2012 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 28 labelers | 23 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.142 per tablet (Lurasidone HCl 20 mg tablet) | $0.269 per capsule (Ziprasidone HCl 20 mg capsule) |
| 12-month price change | -28% | -13% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 2 | 1 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 20,803 | 6,148 |
| 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 do the labels say about using others of their kind?
Ziprasidone label, drug interactionsRisk of serotonin syndrome with concomitant therapy with other serotonergic drugs such as SNRIs, SSRIs, triptans, tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, lithium, tryptophan, buspirone, amphetamines, and St. John’s Wort [see Contraindications ( 4.3 ), Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 ), Adverse Reactions ( 6.2 )].
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to lurasidone
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions