Seroquel (quetiapine) is an atypical antipsychotic medication indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia, and for the treatment of acute manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder. Seroquel is also approved for the treatment of patients with depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder in the US only. Illnesses that affect the brain, such as schizophrenia, may be due to certain chemicals in the brain being out of balance.

Seroquel works by targeting the specific areas of the brain (pre-frontal cortex, striatum, limbic system and anterior pituitary) that are affected by the illness and helps to regulate the actions of the neurotransmitters – dopamine and serotonin – that play an important role in brain functioning.

Seroquel has been approved for the treatment of schizophrenia since 1997 and for mania associated with bipolar disorder since 2003. Seroquel is available in over 80 countries worldwide, including the US and across Europe. In October 2006 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Seroquel for the treatment of patients with depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder. Seroquel is now the first and only single medication approved by the FDA to treat both depressive and manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder.