History
Clozapine was developed by Sandoz in 1961, and introduced in Europe ten years later. In 1975, after reports of agranulocytosis leading to death in some clozapine-treated patients, clozapine was voluntarily withdrawn by the manufacturer. Clozapine fell out of favor for more than a decade. However, when studies demonstrated that clozapine was more effective against treatment-resistant schizophrenia than other antipsychotics, the FDA approved its use only for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, and required regular haematological monitoring to detect agranulocytosis.
Side Effects
Although clozapine is generally believed to not cause tardive dyskinesia, it does cause agranulocytosis in ~1% of users. In addition, common side effects include: constipation, drooling, muscle-stiffness, sedation, tremors, and weight-gain.
Agranulocytosis
Agranulocytosis can result in a dangerous loss of white blood-cellss. Those who use clozapine are advised to have a blood cell count every week, for the first 6 months of usage. After this they should continue to conduct said count every 2 weeks. If the number of white blood-cells drops notably, one should consult with a hematologist. If you are using clozapine and have a sore throat, or fever, then you should inform a doctor.