title: Flexible dosing with paliperidone ER in the treatment of patients with acutely exacerbated schizophrenia: results from a single-arm, open-label study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To extend findings from fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials in selected patient populations by using flexibly-dosed oral paliperidone extended-release (ER) in a more naturalistic setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults hospitalized with an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia were prospectively treated with open-label flexibly-dosed paliperidone ER 3-12 mg/day for 6 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 294 patients were treated. The primary endpoint, defined as ≥30% improvement in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total scores from baseline to endpoint, was achieved by 66.3% of patients. The percentage of patients rated as at least 'markedly ill' in Clinical Global Impression of Severity scale decreased from baseline (74.1%) to endpoint (20.0%). Patient functioning, assessed by the Personal and Social Performance scale, improved significantly from 50.0 ± 14.3 at baseline to 63.6 ± 14.9 at endpoint (p < 0.0001). Concomitant benzodiazepines were newly initiated in 191 patients (65.0%), and new concomitant medications other than benzodiazepines were started after baseline for 133 patients (45.2%), most frequently paracetamol, zolpidem, and zopiclone. No unexpected adverse events were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data support findings in more selected patient populations treated with fixed-dose paliperidone ER. Flexibly-dosed paliperidone ER administered in a naturalistic hospital setting to a more representative patient population experiencing an acute episode of schizophrenia, was associated with clinically meaningful treatment response. Strength of conclusions is limited by the open-label design and lack of a comparator group. Furthermore, some of the improvements observed may in part be associated with increased attention provided to patients and concomitant use of psychotropic medications, such as benzodiazepines, during this study.
authors: Bezirkskrankenhaus Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
authors: Max
authors: M
authors: Schmauss
authors: Vlado
authors: V
authors: Jukić
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Siracusano
authors: Leszek
authors: L
authors: Bidzan
authors: George M
authors: GM
authors: Badescu
authors: Valentinas
authors: V
authors: Maciulis
authors: Marjolein
authors: M
authors: Lahaye
authors: Dagmar
authors: D
authors: Hoeben
authors: Christophe
authors: C
authors: Tessier
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Schreiner
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007555:Isoxazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000068882:Paliperidone Palmitate; D057285:Precision Medicine; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D007555:Isoxazoles; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068882:Paliperidone Palmitate