Chlorpromazine

Chlorpromazine (as chlorpromazine hydrochloride, abbreviated CPZ, marketed in the US as Thorazine, as Largactil in Europe) is the oldest typical antipsychotic. The molecular structure is 2-chloro-10-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-phenothiazine. Synthesized on December 11, 1950, chlorpromazine was the first drug developed with specific antipsychotic action. Its use has been described as the single biggest advance in psychiatric treatment, dramatically improving the prognosis of patients in psychiatric hospitals worldwide. It was the prototype for the phenothiazine class, which later grew to comprise several other agents. It is now used less commonly than the newer atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone.