Photodegradation of psychotropic medications: Impact on efficacy, safety, and drug properties

Antipsychotics and antidepressants are essential psychotropic medications used for treating various mental health conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. However, when exposed to light, these compounds are susceptible to photodegradation, potentially changing their biological activity and safety profiles. This study evaluates the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of several photoproducts derived from 13 psychotropic drugs. We used computational methods to predict the biological activity, toxicity, and drug-like properties of the photoproducts. Our results indicate that photoproducts such as amisulpride_TP166, TP246, quetiapine_D4, and quetiapine_PH1 show enhanced biological affinity and ADME-Tox profiles similar to their parent compounds, suggesting possible therapeutic advantages in their interaction with targeted receptors. However, some of the photocompounds exhibit lower predicted binding affinities when interacting with those receptors compared to their parent compounds, indicating a possible loss of function. These findings emphasize the need for further investigation into the effects and safety of drug photoproducts, particularly in the context of long-term pharmacotherapy.