Paliperidone Extended-release Tablets: A New Atypical Antipsychotic

Abstract

<p>Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic, and disabling illness. The overall effectiveness of available antipsychotic drugs is limited. Many patients do not respond to available drugs, or they experience residual symptoms despite adequate treatment. Some patients respond to medication but experience intolerable side effects and stop treatment. For these reasons, new drug therapies are always needed. Although a new drug may not necessarily be more effective on average compared with available drugs, for certain patients it may be relatively more effective or better tolerated. In this article, the clinical use of the new atypical antipsychotic drug paliperidone extended-release (pal-ER, Invega) is reviewed.</p> <h4>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</h4> <p>Robert H. Howland, MD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.</p> <p>Address correspondence to: Robert H. Howland, MD, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213; e-mail: <a href="mailto:HowlandRH@upmc.edu">HowlandRH@upmc.edu</a>.</p> <p>Dr. Howland has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.</p> <h4>EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES</h4> <ol> <li>Compare how the pharmacology of paliperidone differs from other antipsychotic drugs.</li> <li>Discuss the short-term and longterm effectiveness of paliperidone in schizophrenia.</li> <li>Compare the tolerability and safety of paliperidone with other antipsychotic drugs.</li> </ol>