Author's reply

摘要

Dr McKenna seems to have misread and misunderstood the editorial. I do not argue that 'atypical anti-psychotics' (whatever they are) can no longer be regarded as having advantages over 'conventional drugs' (whatever they are). I argue that the class - the 'atypical' antipsychotics - has been fabricated for marketing purposes and has no basis in science or clinical practice. Although some studies do suggest that individual drugs differ in terms of side-effects, potency, efficacy and effectiveness, the differences - with the exception of clozapine for treatment-resistant schizophrenia - are small, and their relative effects are, at least in part, dependent on the potency2 and dose of the comparator. These differences do not constitute a 'class effect