Two medicines, side by side
Quetiapine vs lamotrigine
Quetiapine and lamotrigine are both labeled for bipolar disorder. Drugs@FDA records approvals of quetiapine since 1997 and of lamotrigine since 1994. Pharmacies paid $0.127 per quetiapine fumarate 300 mg tablet and $0.0268 per lamotrigine 25 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Lamotrigine's other strengths are brand-only: $2.86 per mL (Subvenite 10 mg/mL suspension). In FDA's classes, quetiapine is an atypical antipsychotic and lamotrigine a mood stabilizer.
Check it at the source: the quetiapine FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 10, 2026); the lamotrigine FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 10, 2025).
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
Highlights of the lamotrigine record
Lamotrigine (Lamictal) · label of October 10, 2025
SERIOUS SKIN RASHES LAMICTAL can cause serious rashes requiring hospitalization and discontinuation of treatment. The incidence of these rashes, which have included Stevens-Johnson syndrome, is approximately 0.3% to 0.8% in pediatric patients (aged 2 to 17 years) and 0.08% to 0.3% in adults receiving LAMICTAL. One rash-related death was reported in a prospectively followed cohort of 1,983 pediatric patients (aged 2 to 16 years) with epilepsy taking LAMICTAL as adjunctive therapy.
Used for
From the label: indicationsLAMICTAL is indicated for: Epilepsy–adjunctive therapy in patients aged 2 years and older: • partial-onset seizures. • primary generalized tonic-clonic (PGTC) seizures. • generalized seizures of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 27, 1994
- Generic labelers
- 49 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0268 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 10
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Quetiapine label of April 10, 2026, Lamotrigine label of October 10, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do quetiapine and lamotrigine differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, quetiapine is an atypical antipsychotic and lamotrigine a mood stabilizer.
How each works, in its label's words: Quetiapine, “The mechanism of action of quetiapine in the listed indications is unclear.”; Lamotrigine, “The precise mechanism(s) by which lamotrigine exerts its anticonvulsant action are unknown.”
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
Generics: quetiapine since 2012; lamotrigine since 2006 (Drugs@FDA).
| Quetiapine | Lamotrigine | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, Depression | Seizures and epilepsy, Bipolar disorder |
| Pharmacologic class | Atypical Antipsychotic | Anti-epileptic Agent, Mood Stabilizer |
| How it works (label) | 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. | The precise mechanism(s) by which lamotrigine exerts its anticonvulsant action are unknown. |
| Half-life (label) | Elimination of quetiapine is mainly via hepatic metabolism with a mean terminal half-life of about 6 hours within the proposed clinical dose range. | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | September 26, 1997 | December 27, 1994 |
| First generic approved | March 27, 2012 | June 21, 2006 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 48 labelers | 49 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.127 per tablet (Quetiapine fumarate 300 mg tablet) | $0.0268 per tablet (Lamotrigine 25 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -9% | -12% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | A presentation being discontinued |
| Recalls recorded | 10 | 10 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 191,480 | 130,994 |
| 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 quetiapine
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions