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Aripiprazole Pathway, Pharmacokinetics

PA166246401 Last updated February 2026 Caroline F. Thorn
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Drugs & chemicals
0
Genes
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Conditions
17
Reactions
Aripiprazole Pathway, Pharmacokinetics pathway diagram
Aripiprazole Pathway, Pharmacokinetics — pathway diagram from PharmGKB / ClinPGx
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About this pathway

Background

Aripiprazole is an atypical antipsychotic used in the treatment of adults and adolescents with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and children and adolescents with bipolar disorder [Articles:15257633, 21359119]. Aripiprazole is also FDA-approved for use in children and adolescents with autism age 6-17 [Article:21359119]. A long acting injectable prodrug aripiprazole lauroxil is also approved for treatment of schizophrenia [Article:28350572].

Metabolism

Aripiprazole lauroxil is metabolized to N-hydroxymethyl aripiprazole by esterases (no specific candidates documented)[Article:28350572]. It then undergoes non-enzymatic hydrolysis to aripiprazole [Article:28350572].

Aripiprazole is then extensively metabolized in the liver via N-dealkylation, hydroxylation or dehydrogenation pathways [Article:15257633]. CYP3A and CYP2D6 enzymes are responsible for dehydrogenation and hydroxylation, and N-dealkylation is catalyzed by CYP3A4 [Article:21476873]. Dehydroaripiprazole (OPC-14857) is the main metabolite in humans [Article:21476873]. Dehydroaripiprazole has similar pharmacological properties to aripiprazole; therefore, the sum of the parent drug and its dehydro-metabolite is often used in therapeutic measurement [Article:30604050].

Transport

Aripiprazole is a substrate for ABCB1 and variants have been shown to influence drug clearance [Articles:29325225, 29443543]. Aripiprazole and dehydroaripiprazole are inhibitors of ABCB1 (MDR1) and ABCG2 (BCRP) [Article:22847220].

Reactions & interactions (17)

  • Biochemical Reaction
    aripiprazole dehydroaripiprazole
  • Biochemical Reaction
    aripiprazole aripiprazole metabolite DM-1451
  • Biochemical Reaction
    aripiprazole 1-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)piperazine
  • Biochemical Reaction
    N-hydroxymethyl aripiprazole aripiprazole + formaldehyde
  • Biochemical Reaction
    aripiprazole lauroxil N-hydroxymethyl aripiprazole + lauric acid
  • Catalysis
    CYP2D6 Biochemical Reaction
  • Catalysis
    CYP3A5 Biochemical Reaction
  • Catalysis
    CYP3A4 Biochemical Reaction
  • Catalysis
    CYP3A4 Biochemical Reaction
  • Catalysis
    CYP2D6 Biochemical Reaction
  • Catalysis
    CYP3A4 Biochemical Reaction
  • Catalysis
    ABCB1 Transport
  • Inhibition
    dehydroaripiprazole ABCG2
  • Inhibition
    aripiprazole ABCB1
  • Inhibition
    dehydroaripiprazole ABCB1
  • Inhibition
    aripiprazole ABCG2
  • Transport
    aripiprazole aripiprazole

Edit history (3)

  • 2021-07-15 Create
  • 2025-02-21 Update fixed typo
  • 2026-02-12 Update Updated watermark and image map.
Aripiprazole Pathway, Pharmacokinetics pathway diagram (enlarged)