Moperone (Luvatren): Why This Butyrophenone Is Not in U.S. Pharmacies and What Telehealth Can Still Do

Last updated: August 26, 2026

Moperone (brand Luvatren, now discontinued) is a first-generation butyrophenone antipsychotic. People search the generic, the Japanese brand, or the older “methylperidol” synonym after a foreign chart, a racing-medication list, or a pharmacology table. U.S. retail pharmacies do not stock it. A licensed telehealth visit can still evaluate psychosis, anxiety, or related symptoms and discuss medicines that U.S. pharmacies actually dispense.

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TLDR

• Moperone is a typical butyrophenone (INN). The historic brand is Luvatren. Wikipedia and Japanese sources describe marketing in Japan for schizophrenia; the brand is discontinued.
• Identifiers: DrugBank DB13554 (not annotated); CAS 1050-79-9; PubChem CID 4249; UNII OU730881W5; KEGG D02623; ATC N05AD04; formula C22H26FNO2 (~355.45 g/mol).
• WHO ATC/DDD lists a defined daily dose of 20 mg oral and 20 mg parenteral. That is a classification figure, not a U.S. prescription.
• Inada and Inagaki’s 2015 Japan dose-equivalence table lists moperone at 12.5 mg relative to chlorpromazine 100 mg. Their related work notes some older agents are no longer available in Japan.
• It is not an FDA-approved U.S. product. Do not import it or substitute it for a U.S. antipsychotic on your own.
• Medicare telehealth flexibilities were extended through December 31, 2027 (HHS, Feb. 5, 2026). Commercial coverage still varies.

What is moperone?

Moperone is a typical antipsychotic in the same butyrophenone family as haloperidol, pipamperone, benperidol, and bromperidol. KEGG classifies it as a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist (target DRD2) and lists ATC N05AD04. Wikipedia summarizes antagonist activity at D2 (Ki about 0.7-1.9 nM), D3 (Ki about 0.1-1 nM), and 5-HT2A (Ki about 52 nM), plus sigma-receptor binding from PDSP/encyclopedia sources. Those Ki values come from research tables, not from a U.S. label.

IUPAC name: 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-4-[4-hydroxy-4-(4-methylphenyl)piperidin-1-yl]butan-1-one. ChemSpider 4100. CompTox DTXSID6049062. ECHA InfoCard 100.012.625.

Gross and Kaltenbäck (1969) discussed its clinical place among butyrophenones in the Nordic Journal of Psychiatry (PMID 5354545). That paper is historical, not a modern U.S. efficacy trial.

Is Luvatren available in the United States?

No. There is no FDA-approved moperone product for U.S. retail or mail-order pharmacies. DrugBank marks the record “Not Annotated.” Wikipedia lists Luvatren as discontinued and notes Japan as the historic market. Brazil’s Anvisa RDC 784 (2023) places it in Class C1 (other controlled substances); that is a Brazilian scheduling note, not a U.S. DEA schedule for a marketed product.

If a relative abroad used Luvatren tablets or powder (Astellas historically marketed those forms in Japan), a U.S. clinician will not refill that brand. They start from your current symptoms, exam, and medicines that U.S. pharmacies can fill.

What do the dose tables actually say?

The WHO ATC/DDD index assigns moperone a DDD of 20 mg by mouth and 20 mg parenterally. DDD is a technical unit for drug-use statistics. It is not your dose.

Inada and Inagaki (Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2015) published Japan-specific chlorpromazine equivalents. Their table lists moperone at 12.5 mg as the amount treated as comparable to chlorpromazine 100 mg. Related Japanese materials flag some older antipsychotics as no longer available. Equivalence tables help researchers compare charts. They do not authorize a U.S. switch.

Cochrane’s delirium review search strategy includes “moperone or luvatren or luvatrena or methyl peridol” as synonyms (PMC6513380). That is a literature-search string, not evidence that moperone treats delirium in U.S. hospitals.

How is moperone different from Haldol or other butyrophenones?

Haloperidol (Haldol) is widely available in the United States in oral and injectable forms, including long-acting decanoate. Pipamperone (Dipiperon), benperidol (Anquil), and bromperidol (Impromen) are other first-generation butyrophenones that also lack U.S. pharmacy stock. Moperone sits in that same “foreign typical” group: same chemical class, different regulatory history.

Typical antipsychotics as a class carry risks of extrapyramidal symptoms, tardive dyskinesia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and prolactin effects. Boxed warnings on U.S. antipsychotics for elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis apply to the class of products actually marketed here. Do not assume a foreign typical is “gentler” because the brand is unfamiliar.

Why does moperone show up on racing lists?

Washington’s equine medication rules list moperone / Luvatren among prohibited substances (WAC 260-70). That is a sports-doping classification. It does not mean veterinarians prescribe Luvatren in U.S. clinics the way PromAce (acepromazine) is used in dogs. If you found the name on a racing calendar, treat it as a banned-substance entry, not a consumer product.

What can a U.S. telehealth visit still do?

A visit cannot legally send moperone to a U.S. pharmacy. A licensed clinician can still:

• Take a history of psychosis, mania, severe anxiety, insomnia, or prior depot use abroad
• Screen for safety (suicidality, substance use, medical red flags) and refer in person when needed
• Discuss FDA-approved antipsychotics and other psychotropics that your state and DEA rules allow by telehealth
• Coordinate labs, prior authorization, and follow-up when your plan requires them

HHS states that recent legislation extended many Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027. Private plans set their own rules. Coverage may include evaluation, therapy, and some medications. It typically will not include an unapproved foreign brand.

Browse condition guides or start with anxiety care online if that is the main problem. Klarity is not an emergency service. Call 911 for a medical emergency. Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Insurance, prior authorization, and what “may cover” means

Plans may cover a psychiatric evaluation and an FDA-approved antipsychotic after prior authorization. Stimulant and some antipsychotic PAs differ by PBM (OptumRx, CVS/Caremark, Express Scripts, Humana Pharmacy Solutions). Zepbound and other GLP-1 rules are irrelevant here. Always verify benefits. Language such as “your insurance covers this” is not accurate for any specific plan.

FAQs

Is moperone the same as methylperidol?

Search thesauri treat methylperidol / methyl peridol as synonyms for moperone. Use the INN “moperone” when you talk with a U.S. clinician so they can map it to the butyrophenone class.

Can I get Luvatren compounded in the U.S.?

Compounding a foreign typical that lacks a U.S. monograph is not a routine telehealth outcome. Ask a specialist pharmacy only under a clinician who accepts that responsibility. Most patients do better on a marketed U.S. agent.

Does Klarity prescribe antipsychotics?

Licensed providers on the platform evaluate whether a medicine is appropriate for you, your state, and telehealth rules. Controlled-substance and long-acting injectable logistics vary. Nobody can promise a specific drug before the visit.

What if I still take leftover Luvatren from another country?

Do not stop a dopamine blocker abruptly without medical advice. Bring the bottle or a photo to a licensed clinician. Abrupt cessation and unsupervised switches both carry risk.

Sources

• DrugBank DB13554
• Wikipedia: Moperone
• KEGG D02623
• WHO ATC/DDD N05AD (moperone 20 mg)
• PubChem CID 4249
• Inada & Inagaki 2015 dose equivalence
• Gross & Kaltenbäck 1969 PMID 5354545
• Cochrane delirium search terms (PMC6513380)
• HHS telehealth policy updates

Educational only. Not medical advice. Coverage varies by plan. Verify benefits before you book. If you or someone else is in crisis, call or text 988.

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