Thioridazine: The Good and the Bad

Thioridazine is a phenothiazine drug which has previously been extensively used for its antipsychotic properties as it is associated with a low risk of extra-pyramidal side-effects. There is good evidence to suggest that, in common with other phenothiazine drugs, thioridazine has important anti-microbial activity and is a potential candidate for development as an anti-microbial drug against multi-resistant organisms, including drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The clinical pharmacology and toxicity profile of thioridazine are reviewed in this article and the implications for future drug development along with the patent are discussed.