Paliperidone Palmitate – Effect On Negative, Depression/anxiety, Patient Functioning and Extrapyramidal Symptoms in Non-acute Schizophrenia Patients Previously Unsuccessfully Treated with Oral Aripiprazole

Abstract

Introduction To explore the effect of flexibly dosed paliperidone palmitate (PP) on negative, depression/anxiety, patient functioning and extrapyramidal symptoms in adult non-acute schizophrenia patients previously unsuccessfully treated with oral aripiprazole. Methods International, prospective 6-month open-label study. Outcomes analyzed were changes from baseline (BL) to last-observation-carried-forward endpoint (EP) in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative subscale, PANSS negative and anxiety/depression Marder factors, patient functioning (Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP) and Mini International Classification of Functioning (Mini-ICF)) and Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale (ESRS). Results : 46 patients were analyzed: 73.9% male, mean age 34.4±9.4 years, 78.3% paranoid schizophrenia, 67.4% completed the study. Mean prior oral aripiprazole dose was 22.7±10.7 mg/day. PANSS negative subscale score decreased from 20.3±5.0 at BL to 17.3±6.1 at EP (mean change -3.0±5.0; 95% confidence interval (CI) of change -4.4;–1.5; p Conclusions Transition from unsuccessful treatment with oral aripiprazole to flexibly dosed paliperidone palmitate in non-acute schizophrenia patients was well tolerated and associated with significant improvements in negative, depressive, anxiety and extrapyramidal symptoms as well as patient functioning.