Vilazodone

Vilazodone is an oral antidepressant classified as a serotonin partial agonist and reuptake inhibitor (SPARI), combining selective serotonin reuptake inhibition with partial agonism at 5-HT1A receptors. It is FDA-approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. Vilazodone must be taken with food to ensure adequate absorption, and treatment is typically initiated at a low dose and titrated upward over two weeks to the target maintenance dose to improve gastrointestinal tolerability. As with other antidepressants, it carries a boxed warning regarding increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children, adolescents, and young adults, and should be discontinued gradually rather than abruptly.