| Major Depressive Disorder
Fetzima vs Vraylar
Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for major depressive disorder.Deep comparison between: Fetzima vs Vraylar with Prescriber.AI
AI compares prescribing info and payer-specific access barriers across 1,200+ formularies. Here's a preview of what prescribers are already asking.Safety signalsVraylar has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Fetzima based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Vraylar but not Fetzima, including UnitedHealthcare
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Category
Fetzima
Vraylar
At A Glance
Oral
Once daily
SNRI
Oral
Daily
Atypical antipsychotic
Indications
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Manic Disorder
- Depression, Bipolar
- Major Depressive Disorder
Dosing
Major Depressive Disorder Initiate at 20 mg once daily for 2 days, then increase to 40 mg once daily; may increase in 40 mg increments at intervals of 2 or more days; max 120 mg once daily, oral, with or without food.
Renal Impairment Severe (CrCl 15-29 mL/min): max 40 mg once daily; moderate (CrCl 30-59 mL/min): max 80 mg once daily; ESRD: not recommended.
Schizophrenia Adults: start 1.5 mg once daily; recommended 1.5-6 mg once daily (max 6 mg). Pediatric patients (13-17 years): start 0.5 mg once daily; recommended 1.5-4.5 mg once daily (max 4.5 mg).
Manic Disorder Adults: start 1.5 mg once daily, increase to 3 mg on Day 2; recommended 3-6 mg once daily (max 6 mg). Pediatric patients (10-17 years): start 0.5 mg once daily; recommended 3 mg or 4.5 mg once daily (max 4.5 mg).
Depression, Bipolar Adults: start 1.5 mg once daily; may increase to 3 mg on Day 15 (max 3 mg once daily).
Major Depressive Disorder Adults (adjunctive to antidepressants): start 1.5 mg once daily; may increase to 3 mg on Day 15 (max 3 mg once daily).
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to levomilnacipran, milnacipran HCl, or any excipient in the formulation
- Concomitant use with MAOIs intended to treat psychiatric disorders, or within 7 days of stopping FETZIMA
- Use of FETZIMA within 14 days of stopping an MAOI intended to treat psychiatric disorders
- Concomitant use with linezolid or intravenous methylene blue
- History of hypersensitivity reaction to cariprazine, including rash, pruritus, urticaria, and reactions suggestive of angioedema (e.g., swollen tongue, lip swelling, face edema, pharyngeal edema, swelling face)
Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=5%) Nausea, constipation, hyperhidrosis, heart rate increased, erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorder, tachycardia, vomiting, palpitations
Serious Suicidal thoughts and behaviors, serotonin syndrome, elevated blood pressure, elevated heart rate, increased risk of bleeding, angle closure glaucoma, urinary hesitation or retention, activation of mania/hypomania, seizure, discontinuation syndrome, hyponatremia, sexual dysfunction
Postmarketing Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, anosmia, hyposmia
Most common (>=5%) Extrapyramidal symptoms, akathisia, nausea, restlessness, insomnia, somnolence, dyspepsia, vomiting
Serious Neuroleptic malignant syndrome, tardive dyskinesia, increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, cerebrovascular adverse reactions, metabolic changes, leukopenia/neutropenia/agranulocytosis, orthostatic hypotension, seizures
Postmarketing Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Pharmacology
Levomilnacipran is a potent and selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) that potentiates serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission in the central nervous system through inhibition of reuptake at their respective transporters, with no significant affinity for other receptors, ion channels, or transporters.
Cariprazine is an atypical antipsychotic that acts as a partial agonist at central dopamine D2/D3 and serotonin 5-HT1A receptors and as an antagonist at serotonin 5-HT2A receptors; its two major active metabolites, desmethylcariprazine (DCAR) and didesmethylcariprazine (DDCAR), have in vitro receptor binding profiles similar to the parent drug.
Enter your patient's insuranceCheck specific coverage details for your patient.
Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Fetzima
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (3/12) · Step Therapy (11/12) · Qty limit (12/12)
Vraylar
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (5/12) · Step Therapy (5/12) · Qty limit (3/12)
UnitedHealthcare
Fetzima
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (1/8) · Step Therapy (8/8) · Qty limit (6/8)
Vraylar
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (0/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (8/8)
Humana
Fetzima
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (3/3) · Qty limit (2/3)
Vraylar
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (2/3) · Qty limit (3/3)
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
No savings programs available for Fetzima.
$75/fillfill
Vraylar Savings Card - Non-covered benefitCommercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
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FetzimaView full Fetzima profile
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Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.