Which medication was the first antipsychotic approved by the FDA in 1954?

Chlorpromazine, marketed as Thorazine, is recognized as the first antipsychotic medication approved by the FDA in 1954. This groundbreaking drug was pivotal in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, transforming psychiatric practice by providing a new pharmacological approach to managing severe mental illness.

Unlike other options listed, Chlorpromazine played a critical role in the revolution of psychiatric treatments, significantly reducing symptoms of psychosis and allowing for more humane inpatient care. Its introduction paved the way for further research and development of antipsychotic medications, establishing a foundation that influenced subsequent drug therapies.

The other medications mentioned appeared much later. Haloperidol, which came into use in the 1960s, introduced a different class of antipsychotic, but it is not the first. Clozapine, which was introduced in the 1970s, became significant due to its effectiveness in treatment-resistant schizophrenia, and Olanzapine, released in the 1990s, emerged as a second-generation antipsychotic with a different side effect profile. Thus, Chlorpromazine's historical significance and its status as the first approved medication define its critical role in the history of psychiatric treatment.