How long does it take for Rexulti to work?

Rexulti (generic name: brexpiprazole) is an atypical antipsychotic used to treat patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia, and agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. In Rexulti studies, some people started to see results 1 or 2 weeks after starting treatment, but the best results were seen at the end of 6 weeks for depression and schizophrenia, and 12 weeks for agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Rexulti is an oral tablet you take once a day with or without food. Your doctor will slowly increase your dose over a few weeks to see how well you respond to and tolerate the medication.

When will Rexulti start to work for me?

How long it takes for you to respond to Rexulti treatment can vary, and may be different from others.

• Your treatment result depends upon your dose, your medical condition and the severity of your symptoms.
• Always keep your appointments with your doctor so you can discuss how you are feeling and any side effects you may be having with Rexulti.
• Your doctor will slowly increase your Rexulti dose over a few weeks to determine the best dose for you.

How long does Rexulti stay in my system?

Rexulti can stay in your system a long time. It has a long half-life, which is the amount of time it takes for a drug level in your blood to be reduce in your system by one half. The half-life of brexpiprazole, the active ingredient in Rexulti, is about 91 hours. It usually takes 5 half-lives for a drug to be mostly eliminated from your body, so this equates to roughly 455 hours, or 18 to 19 days for Rexulti.

Drugs that have long half lives like Rexulti have an advantage as they can often be dosed once a day and blood levels remain more steady. But if you experience any side effects with Rexulti, and your doctor determines you should stop treatment, it may take longer for the side effect to fully go away. Do not stop treatment unless told to do so by your doctor.

Your doctor may need to adjust your dose of Rexulti if:

• you have kidney or liver disease
• you have a certain genetic alteration (CYP2D6 poor metabolizers) that can affect how Rexulti is metabolized (broken down for excretion from your body)
• you are at risk for certain drug interactions that can increase or lower Rexulti blood levels. This can put you at risk for side effects or lower drug effectiveness.

Follow your doctor’s prescribed dosing instructions exactly.

Be sure to tell your doctor or pharmacist about all of the medications you use, including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Your doctor or pharmacist will review your medicines for drug interactions while you are taking Rexulti.

Bottom Line

• Rexulti (generic name: brexpiprazole) is an atypical antipsychotic used to treat patients with schizophrenia, depression or agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.
• In Rexulti studies, some people started to see results 1 or 2 weeks after starting treatment, but the best results were seen at the end of 6 weeks in depression and schizophrenia studies. In patients with agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease, significant results were seen in 12 weeks.
• Your doctor will slowly increase your Rexulti dose over a few weeks to determine the best dose for you and to monitor how well you tolerate any side effects.

This is not all the information you need to know about Rexulti (brexpiprazole) for safe and effective use. Review the full Rexulti information here, and discuss this information and any questions with your doctor or other health care provider.