Clozapine: a novel antipsychotic with a controversial introduction.

Last year's introduction of clozapine, an atypical antipsychotic, in the United States was the most significant advance in schizoprenia treatment since the advent of chlopromazine in the 1950s. However, clozapine has a disturbingly high incidence of agranulocytosis. The drug manufacturer designed a complex and expensive mandatory blood monitoring system that was dismantled after public pressure earlier this year. There is hope that clozapine will become more widely available to schizoprenic patients.