Lithium salts

The most peculiar psychotropic drugs

Abstract

Objective: to succinctly review the history of the development and use of lithium as a psychotropic drug. Methodology: narrative review, with collection of historical data linked to the discovery of the element and its translation to clinical use. Results: the discovery of lithium took place in the 19th century, and was initially explored in the field of inorganic chemistry. Its development as a psychotropic drug took place slowly and was permeated by resistance from the scientific community, even with promising results from the beginning. Subsequent regulation by the US Food and Drug Administration was marked by controversy, as the agency seemed to ignore the available scientific evidence. Despite so many adversities, lithium has established itself as one of the most important drugs in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Conclusion: the case of lithium very well exemplifies the difficulties in developing and approving medicines with low profit potential. Doctors must be careful to judge the indication of medications based on their clinical effectiveness and not based on market factors.