deutetrabenazine

Adjunctive therapy • Brands: Austedo, Austedo XR

Last reviewed: 2026-02-22

General information

Class: Adjunctive therapy
Common US brands: Austedo, Austedo XR
Typical dose range: Immediate-release (label): begins at 6 mg once daily with food; titrate by 6 mg/day at weekly intervals (as divided twice-daily doses) to a typical 12 mg twice-daily target; maximum 48 mg/day.
Therapeutic drug monitoring not routinely recommended.
Last reviewed: 2026-02-22

Dosing & forms

Forms/strengths: Immediate-release tablets: 6 mg, 9 mg, 12 mg (administered twice daily with food).; Extended-release tablets: 6 mg, 12 mg, 24 mg taken once daily with food.
Frequency: Immediate-release (label): begins at 6 mg once daily with food; titrate by 6 mg/day at weekly intervals (as divided twice-daily doses) to a typical 12 mg twice-daily target; maximum 48 mg/day.
Food: Take with food.
Typical range: Immediate-release (label): begins at 6 mg once daily with food; titrate by 6 mg/day at weekly intervals (as divided twice-daily doses) to a typical 12 mg twice-daily target; maximum 48 mg/day.

Mechanism (brief)

VMAT2 inhibitor that reduces presynaptic dopamine packaging, indicated for tardive dyskinesia and chorea associated with Huntington disease.

Metabolism & Half‑life

Metabolism: CYP2D6
Half‑life: Single-dose mean 9 h

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM)

Recommended: No

View labelExact

Monitoring highlights

Baseline and follow-up AIMS scoring (and functional impact) to document benefit and support payer renewals.
Mood symptoms (depression, suicidality) and sleep changes during titration, even outside Huntington disease populations.
QTc monitoring when cardiac risk exists or when QT-active drugs/CYP2D6 inhibitors are co-prescribed.
Sedation and falls risk, especially in older adults and when other CNS depressants are used.

Sources

AUSTEDO (deutetrabenazine) prescribing information — DailyMed (2025)
Deutetrabenazine for treatment of involuntary movements in patients with tardive dyskinesia (AIM-TD): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial — The Lancet Psychiatry (2017)
A systematic review on treatment of tardive dyskinesia with valbenazine and deutetrabenazine — Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology (2019)
AGNP Consensus Guidelines for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Neuropsychopharmacology — Pharmacopsychiatry (2018)

General information

Class: Adjunctive therapy

Common US brands: Austedo, Austedo XR

Typical dose range: Immediate-release (label): begins at 6 mg once daily with food; titrate by 6 mg/day at weekly intervals (as divided twice-daily doses) to a typical 12 mg twice-daily target; maximum 48 mg/day.

Therapeutic drug monitoring not routinely recommended.

Last reviewed: 2026-02-22

Dosing & forms

Forms/strengths: Immediate-release tablets: 6 mg, 9 mg, 12 mg (administered twice daily with food).; Extended-release tablets: 6 mg, 12 mg, 24 mg taken once daily with food.

Frequency: Immediate-release (label): begins at 6 mg once daily with food; titrate by 6 mg/day at weekly intervals (as divided twice-daily doses) to a typical 12 mg twice-daily target; maximum 48 mg/day.

Food: Take with food.

Typical range: Immediate-release (label): begins at 6 mg once daily with food; titrate by 6 mg/day at weekly intervals (as divided twice-daily doses) to a typical 12 mg twice-daily target; maximum 48 mg/day.

Monitoring highlights

Baseline and follow-up AIMS scoring (and functional impact) to document benefit and support payer renewals.

Mood symptoms (depression, suicidality) and sleep changes during titration, even outside Huntington disease populations.

QTc monitoring when cardiac risk exists or when QT-active drugs/CYP2D6 inhibitors are co-prescribed.

Sedation and falls risk, especially in older adults and when other CNS depressants are used.