Lessons from the history of antipsychotic discovery: part 1 - initial insights

Hall, Jeremy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2737-9009 2026. Lessons from the history of antipsychotic discovery: part 1 - initial insights. BJPsych Bulletin 10.1192/bjb.2026.10250

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (230kB)

Abstract

The recent introduction of the first non-dopaminergic antipsychotic marks a pivotal moment in psychopharmacology. This article revisits the development of chlorpromazine, the world’s first licensed antipsychotic, and considers what its history reveals about innovation in psychiatric drug discovery. Chlorpromazine emerged in the early 1950s as a treatment for surgical shock. Its subsequent recognition as an antipsychotic transformed psychiatric care, ushering in the modern era of psychopharmacology. This article argues that chlorpromazine’s success was not serendipitous: it depended on specific enabling conditions, including rigorous behavioural neuroscience, astute clinical observation across disciplines, close collaboration between clinicians and industry, and relatively agile regulatory frameworks. Understanding these factors is essential as psychiatry enters a new phase of drug development for the treatment of psychosis.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Medicine ?? NMHII ??
Publisher:	Royal College of Psychiatrists
ISSN:	2056-4708
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	12 October 2026
Last Modified:	12 Oct 2026 14:01
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/190164

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item