Risperidone long-acting injectable monotherapy in the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder.
BACKGROUND
Treatment adherence is a significant problem in patients with bipolar disorder. This study was designed to determine the efficacy of risperidone long-acting injectable (LAI) in the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder.


METHODS
Eligible patients with current or recent manic or mixed episodes (n = 559, aged 18-65 years) were treated with open-label oral risperidone for 3 weeks (period II) and open-label risperidone LAI for 26 weeks (n = 501; period III). Patients who maintained response (n = 303) were randomly allocated 1:1 to placebo injections (n = 149) or to continue risperidone LAI (n = 154) for up to 24 months (period IV).


RESULTS
Most (77%) patients on risperidone LAI received a dose of 25 mg every 2 weeks during period IV. Time to recurrence for any mood episode (primary outcome variable) was significantly longer in the risperidone LAI group versus placebo (p < .001); the difference was significant for time to recurrence of elevated-mood episode (p < .001) but not time to recurrence of depressive episode (p = .805). Weight gains > or = 7% (compared with the period's baseline) occurred in 15% of patients in period III; in 12% of patients on risperidone LAI and 3% of patients on placebo in period IV.


CONCLUSIONS
Risperidone LAI monotherapy significantly delayed the time to recurrence of mood episodes, versus placebo, in this controlled, randomized study in patients with bipolar I disorder. Risperidone LAI was tolerable and no new safety concerns emerged compared with previous studies of risperidone LAI.
Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, LLC, Raritan, New Jersey, USA. jorge.quiroz@roche.com
Jorge A
JA
Quiroz
Lakshmi N
LN
Yatham
Joseph M
JM
Palumbo
Keith
K
Karcher
Stuart
S
Kushner
Vivek
V
Kusumakar
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018967:Risperidone