Treatment of schizophrenia with paliperidone extended-release tablets: A 6-week placebo-controlled trial

Abstract

Background Paliperidone extended-release tablet (paliperidone ER) is an investigational oral psychotropic developed for schizophrenia treatment. It utilizes OROS® technology to provide a unique pharmacokinetic profile, eliminating the need for titration and potentially leading to improved tolerability. Furthermore, paliperidone undergoes limited hepatic metabolism. Methods The efficacy and safety of once-daily paliperidone ER (6 mg, 9 mg and 12 mg) were assessed versus placebo in 628 patients with acute schizophrenia in a 6-week, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group study. Results All doses of paliperidone ER demonstrated significant improvement in PANSS score, all PANSS Marder factor scores ( p < 0.001) and personal and social functioning versus placebo ( p < 0.001). The PANSS total score also improved significantly in the olanzapine treatment arm. Significantly higher percentages of paliperidone ER patients demonstrated a ≥ 30% reduction in PANSS total score versus placebo ( p < 0.001). The incidence of movement disorder-related AEs and rating scales measurements were similar to placebo for the paliperidone ER 6 mg group and higher in the 9 mg and 12 mg groups. In the paliperidone ER groups there were no reports of glucose-related AEs or clinically relevant changes in plasma lipid levels and changes in mean bodyweight < 1 kg. Conclusion In this study, all doses of paliperidone ER were effective in significantly improving the symptoms of schizophrenia and personal and social functioning and were generally well tolerated. Paliperidone ER offers a distinctive treatment profile and may provide a valuable new treatment option for patients with schizophrenia.