Amoxapine: neuroleptic as well as antidepressant?

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Abstract
Amoxapine, a new antidepressant, is the N-desmethyl analog of loxapine, a neuroleptic. Amoxapine itself or its metabolites may have neuroleptic and antidepressant properties. With in vitro studies using a radioreceptor assay for neuroleptics, it was found that amoxapine and one of its metabolites in particular (7-hydroxyamoxapine) had potent neuroleptic-like activity. Blood specimens from patients receiving amoxapine showed the presence of neuroleptic activity in the same assay. Implications of these findings for gauging the benefits and risks of treatment with amoxapine, including the risk of neurologic effects, were noted.