Efficacy and safety of lurasidone in adolescents and young adults with schizophrenia: A pooled post hoc analysis of double-blind, placebo-controlled 6-week studies.

Abstract

The aim of this pooled analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lurasidone in the treatment of an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia in adolescents and young adults. The six pooled studies in this analysis used similar study designs and outcome measures. Patients (aged 13-25 years) were randomized to 6weeks of double-blind, placebo-controlled treatment with lurasidone in fixed doses of 40, 80, 120, or 160mg. The primary efficacy endpoint was Week6 change in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score; secondary efficacy endpoints included Week6 change in the Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale. The safety population consisted of 537 patients (mean age: 18.1years); 82.6% of patients completed the studies. Treatment with lurasidone was significantly better than placebo at all doses (p<0.001) for change in the PANSS total score at Week 6. Placebo-adjusted PANSS scores ranged from -9.4 to -16.1 (effect sizes: 0.53-0.90), with effect sizes increasing at higher doses. For lurasidone (combined doses), three adverse events occurred with a frequency of ≥5% (nausea: 13.5%; somnolence: 12.1%; akathisia: 10.1%). At last observation carried forward (LOCF)-endpoint weight gain of ≥7% was similar for lurasidone versus placebo (3.6 vs. 4.7%). Minimal median changes were observed at endpoint in cholesterol, -2.0mg/dL; triglycerides, 0.0mg/dL; and glucose, 0.0mg/dL. In adolescents and young adults with schizophrenia, treatment with lurasidone in doses of 40-160mg/d was a safe, well-tolerated, and effective treatment. Short-term treatment with lurasidone was associated with minimal effects on weight and metabolic parameters.