Abstract
Purpose of Review. This is a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the use of Aripiprazole lauroxil for schizophrenia. This review presents the background, evidence, and indications for using aripiprazole lauroxil to treat schizophrenia in the context of current theories on the development of schizophrenia. Recent Findings. Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health disorder that currently affects approximately 3.3 million people in the United States. Its symptoms, which must be present for more than six months, are comprised of disorganized behavior and speech, a diminished capacity to comprehend reality, hearing voices unheard by others, seeing things unseen by others, delusions, decreased social commitment, and decreased motivation. The majority of these symptoms can be managed with antipsychotic medication. Aripiprazole lauroxil is a long-acting intramuscular injection that works as a combination of partial agonist activity at D2 and 5-HT1A receptors combined with antagonist activity at 5-HT2A receptors. It can be dosed as a 4-, 6-, or 8-week injection, depending on oral dosage. Aripiprazole lauroxil was FDA approved in October of 2015. Summary. Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder if left untreated. There are multiple medications to help treat schizophrenia. One antipsychotic agent, aripiprazole lauroxil, offers long duration injections that optimize and improve compliance. Known side effects include weight gain, akathisia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, tardive dyskinesia, and orthostatic hypotension. Aripiprazole lauroxil is an FDA-approved drug that can be administered monthly, every six weeks, or every two months and has been shown to be both safe and effective.
Highlights
Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that can be characterized as having positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive dysfunction
Outcomes studied were an improvement from baseline to day 85 in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score and the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale (CGI-I) score at day 85 for Aripiprazole Lauroxil (AL) groups compared with placebo
Schizophrenia consists of positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive dysfunction
Summary
Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that can be characterized as having positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive dysfunction. A decline in social and cognitive functions generally presents itself > 10 years before the onset of psychotic symptoms and leads to those with schizophrenia encountering problems with their ability to maintain social relationships, employment, and independence [3,4]. Treatment with antipsychotics and psychosocial interventions can help increase quality of life, the severity of negative symptoms and cognitive impairment at onset can be a determining factor in treatment efficacy [5]. The combination of pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions can result in improvement in psychiatric symptoms, social functioning, quality of life, and treatment retention, as well as reducing the need for hospitalizations and crisis services, legal system involvement, self-harm, and substance abuse [10]. An important aspect of treating a patient with schizophrenia is “patient-level characteristics” that can impact the outcomes of interventions [10]
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