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

BackgroundPaliperidone 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.MethodsThe 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.ResultsAll 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.ConclusionIn 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.