Switching stable patients with schizophrenia from depot and oral antipsychotics to long-acting injectable risperidone: reasons for switching and safety.
OBJECTIVE
An international, non-randomised study evaluated efficacy and safety of risperidone long-acting injectable (RLAI) compared to previous treatment. To investigate generizability of the European data set to the UK subset safety and switching data are reported here.


METHODS
Patients with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, symptomatically stable on antipsychotic medication, received intramuscular injections of RLAI 25 mg (to a maximum of 50 mg) every 2 weeks for 6 months.


RESULTS
Of 182 UK patients enrolled, 79% had schizophrenia, 21% other psychotic disorders. Insufficient efficacy (43%), side effects (45%), and non-compliance (25%) were the most common reasons for switching. Sixty-nine per cent of patients completed the trial; 8% discontinued due to adverse events (AEs). Most frequent treatment-emergent AEs were headache (8.2%), relapse (7.7%) and insomnia (7.1%); 8 (4.4%) patients reported injection-related AEs. There were significant improvements in extrapyramidal symptom rating scale total and subscale (particularly Parkinsonism) scores, regardless of previous medication (total cohort, p < or = 0.0001). There was a small but significant increase in body weight at endpoint (1.2 kg, p = 0.0023). One patient suffered a myocardial infarction and died (not treatment-related). There were no substantial differences between the full data set and the UK sub-population


CONCLUSIONS
Switch to RLAI was well-tolerated in stable patients over 6 months. The European data set is generalizable to the UK patient population.
Hawley
Chris
C
Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Howlands, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, UK. C.1.Hawley@herts.ac.uk
Turner
Martin
M
Latif
Muhammud A
MA
Curtis
Vivienne
V
Saleem
Packeruther T
PT
Wilton
Kristina
K
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D018967:Risperidone