Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Long-acting Injectable and Oral Second-generation Antipsychotics for the Treatment of Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Comparison of Psychiatric Readmission Rates for Child and Adolescent Patients on Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics Versus Oral Antipsychotics: A Mirror Study

Objectives: Current literature shows a benefit in clinical outcomes when long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIAs) are utilized in adult patients with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. Literature regarding LAIA use in pediatric patients is sparse. The objective of this study is to compare the number of acute psychiatric admissions, psychiatric emergency services (PES) visits, and total number of days admitted to an acute psychiatric hospital 1 year prior to and 1-year post-mirror point of index hospitalization and LAIA initiation. Methods: This was a single-site retrospective mirror-image review of patients <18 years of age initiated on an LAIA during an acute psychiatric hospitalization between October 1, 2015, and October 31, 2022. The number of admissions to the acute psychiatric hospital, number of PES visits, and total number of days hospitalized at the acute psychiatric hospital were captured 1-year pre-index hospitalization admission and 1-year post-index hospitalization discharge, with LAIA administration during index hospitalization being the mirror point. Descriptive statistics and a two-tailed paired t-test were utilized to analyze the data. Results: There were 45 unique pediatric patients initiated on an LAIA during the specified timeframe. Across these 45 patients, there were 47 psychiatric admissions 1-year pre-index hospitalization and 38 psychiatric admissions 1-year post-index hospitalization discharge (p = 0.37). Additionally, there were 24 PES visits 1-year pre-index hospitalization admission and 16 PES visits 1-year post-index hospitalization discharge (p = 0.25). Finally, across the 45 patients, there were a total of 1040 days admitted to the acute psychiatric hospital in the 1-year prior to index hospitalization admission compared with 774 days admitted to the acute psychiatric hospital in the 1-year post-index hospitalization discharge (p = 0.48). Conclusions: In this cohort of pediatric patients initiated on an LAIA, there was a positive trend favoring LAIA therapy over oral antipsychotic therapy with LAIA injection as the mirror point; however, there was no statistically significant difference in the number of psychiatric admissions, number of PES visits, or total number of days admitted to an acute psychiatric hospital. Further studies are required to fully understand the impact of LAIA therapy on clinical outcomes for child and adolescent patients with psychiatric disorders.

Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotic Initiation in Child and Adolescent Patients with Psychiatric Disorders

Objectives: There are currently no long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIAs) that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in child and adolescent patients, however these agents are used off-label for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. This study aims to describe the initiation and maintenance dosing strategies of LAIAs in child and adolescent psychiatry inpatients. Methods: This was a single-site retrospective chart review of patients less than 18 years of age initiated on an LAIA during an acute psychiatric hospitalization between October 1, 2015, and October 31, 2022. Patient demographics and hospital encounter information were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Of the 6402 unique pediatric patients discharged from the acute psychiatric hospital within the specified timeframe, 45 (0.7%) were newly initiated on an LAIA. The average age was 15.6 years (range 10-17), with a greater proportion of male (n = 26, 57.8%) and Black or African American (n = 27, 60%) patients. The LAIA agents prescribed included paliperidone palmitate (n = 21, 46.7%), aripiprazole monohydrate (n = 15, 33.3%), aripiprazole lauroxil (n = 7, 15.6%), haloperidol decanoate (n = 1, 2.2%), and risperidone microspheres (n = 1, 2.2%). Primary diagnosis via International Classification of Diseases-10 code at discharge included schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (n = 19, 42.2%); bipolar disorder (n = 14, 31.1%); disruptive, impulse control, and conduct disorders (n = 6, 13.3%); autistic disorder (n = 5, 11.1%); and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (n = 1, 2.2%). Seventeen patients (37.8%) received a loading dose regimen and/or a maintenance dose regimen that differed from adult package-insert dosing. The mean length of stay was 23.7 days, and 14 patients (31.1%) were readmitted to the psychiatric hospital within 6 months of discharge. The mean number of days to readmission was 71.9 days. Conclusions: This retrospective study is the first to focus on LAIA initiation and maintenance dosing strategies of multiple agents in both a child and adolescent patient population. Further research is required to evaluate the impact of LAIAs on clinical outcomes in this patient population.

Mechanisms of adverse mammary effect induced by olanzapine and therapeutic interventions in rat model

BACKGROUND

Olanzapine antagonizes dopamine receptors and is prescribed to treat multiple psychiatric conditions. The main side effect of concern for olanzapine is weight gain and metabolic syndrome. Olanzapine induces hyperprolactinemia, however its effect on the mammary gland is poorly documented.

METHODS

Rats received olanzapine by gavage or in drinking water at 1, 3, and 6 mg/kg/day for 5-40 days or 100 days, with and without coadministration of bromocriptine or aripiprazole and using once daily or continuous administration strategies. Histomorphology of the mammary gland, concentrations of prolactin, estradiol, progesterone, and olanzapine in serum, mammary gland and adipose tissue, and mRNA and protein expressions of prolactin receptors were analyzed.

RESULTS

In adult and prepubescent female rats and male rats, olanzapine induced significant development of mammary glands in dose- and time-dependent manners, with histopathological hyperplasia of mammary ducts and alveoli with lumen dilation and secretion, marked increase of mammary prolactin receptor expression, a marker of breast tissue, and with mild increase of circulating prolactin. This side effect can be reversed after medication withdrawal, but long-term olanzapine treatment for 100 days implicated tumorigenic potentials indicated by usual ductal epithelial hyperplasia. Olanzapine induced mammary development was prevented with the coaddition of the dopamine agonist bromocriptine or partial agonist aripiprazole, or by continuous administration of medication instead of a once daily regimen.

CONCLUSIONS

These results shed light on the previously overlooked effect of olanzapine on mammary development and present experimental evidence to support current clinical management strategies of antipsychotic induced side effects in the breast.

Clinical outcomes with paliperidone palmitate 3-monthly injection as monotherapy: observational 3-year follow-up of patients with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Paliperidone palmitate 3-monthly (PP3M) has been tested in 1-year controlled studies. The aim of this study was to examine the relapse outcomes with PP3M monotherapy at 3 years in patients with schizophrenia.

METHODS

This was an observational, non-interventional study of patients started on PP3M according to their clinical need. All patients had a diagnosis of schizophrenia (ICD-10 F20) and were between 18 and 65 years of age. The study took place in a mental health facility in South East London, UK.

RESULTS

Among the 166 patients who started PP3M, 97 (58%) met inclusion criteria and were observed for 36 months. In total, five patients (5%) experienced a relapse (defined as step-up in clinical care) while on PP3M. There were no relapses between months 18 and 36. Of the original 97 patients, 56 (58%) remained on PP3M monotherapy at 3 years, and 71 (73%) remained on either PP3M or paliperidone palmitate one-monthly. Reasons for discontinuation of PP3M included patient refusal (n = 11, 33% of discontinuations) and adverse effects in (n = 8, 24%).

CONCLUSION

PP3M is a highly effective monotherapy treatment for reducing relapse in people with schizophrenia.

Post Hospitalization Clinical Quality Outcomes Among US Patients with Schizophrenia Treated with a Long-Acting Injectable or Switched to a New Oral Antipsychotic: A Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

 Adherence to antipsychotic medication and care discontinuity remain a challenge to healthcare practitioners providing care to patients with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE

This study used real-world data from a US hospital-based, all-payer database to examine clinical quality measures among patients with schizophrenia initiated on a long-acting injectable (LAI) or switched to a new oral antipsychotic medication (OAP) following a hospitalization.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study using the PINC AI™ Healthcare Database compared two cohorts of patients with schizophrenia on post-index hospitalization clinical quality and care continuity endpoints. Patients initiated on an LAI (n = 7292) or switched to a new OAP (n = 31,956) during an index hospitalization between April 2017 and April 2020 were included. Propensity score weighting addressed differences in patient, hospital, and clinical characteristics between the two cohorts.

RESULTS

Patients who initiated an LAI experienced significantly greater adjusted 30-day antipsychotic medication continuation to index therapy, higher rate of 30-day outpatient follow-up care, longer mean time to discontinuation of index therapy, and lower risk of discontinuing their index treatment compared to patients who switched to a new OAP (all p values < 0.001). Probability of 30-day antipsychotic medication continuation was significantly higher for LAI initiators than for patients who switched to a new OAP, even after controlling for patient, clinical, and hospital characteristics (adjusted odds ratio = 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.3, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Patients who initiated an LAI in a hospital setting experienced better clinical quality and care continuity outcomes compared to patients who were switched to a new OAP. These findings may be useful in identifying solutions to help improve the quality of medication management post-hospital discharge among patients with schizophrenia.

Comparison of health resource usage and costs associated with first-generation and second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics for patients with schizophrenia: A nationwide population-based cohort study

The aim of this study was to examine psychiatric resource utilization, medical costs and clinical outcomes for patients with schizophrenia who received either first-generation or second-generation long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Patients who began either first-generation or second-generation LAI treatment between 2015 and 2017 were enrolled and followed for three years. The data were evaluated using survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression models. Our findings demonstrated that both first- and second-generation LAI therapies led to notable reductions in the frequency of psychiatric hospitalizations and the duration of hospital stays when compared to the initial measurements. Additionally, the second-generation LAI group exhibited significantly lower rates of psychiatric emergencies and hospitalizations, as well as shorter hospital stays, compared to the first-generation LAI group. However, it is worth noting that the second-generation LAI group incurred higher pharmacy fees despite these favorable outcomes. The utilization of both first- and second-generation LAIs can enhance medication adherence and decrease the risk of acute exacerbation in patients with schizophrenia. These findings hold significant implications for schizophrenia management and the efficient allocation of healthcare resources.

Plasmatic Levels and Response to Variable Doses of Monthly Aripiprazole and Three-Month Paliperidone in Patients with Severe Schizophrenia. Treatment Adherence, Effectiveness, Tolerability, and Safety

Introduction

There is a need when optimizing antipsychotic treatment to know the plasmatic levels (PLs) achieved with the different doses and their relationship with effectiveness and toxicity, especially in patients with poor clinical progress. This study investigates the dose-PL-response relationship of monthly aripiprazole (AOM) and three-month paliperidone (PP3M).

Methods

Observational, 52-week prospective study of patients with severe schizophrenia (CGI-S ≥ 5) treated with PP3M or AOM for at least one year before their inclusion in the study (N=68). Dose-PL relationship was determined. Subjects were included in standard-dose and high-dose (above labeled) and standard/therapeutic range-PLs and high-PLs (above range) groups. Treatment adherence, effectiveness (hospitalizations, severity), tolerability and safety were assessed. PLs and clinical response were evaluated.

Results

No clear linear relationship was found between doses and PLs. In a considerable number of cases, standard doses achieved PLs above the therapeutic range. A significant clinical improvement was related to high PLs, without less safety, tolerability, or treatment compliance being involved. Clinical severity decreased more frequently in patients who received high doses and reached high PLs. Hospital admissions decreased significantly in those patients with high PLs.

Conclusion

Taking into account the absence of a linear relationship between doses and PLs, the effectiveness in people with severe schizophrenia of AOM and PP3M depends on reaching high PLs, achieved with high doses, but also with standard doses in some cases, without leading to worse treatment tolerability, safety, or adherence.

Preferences of Patients and Providers in High-Burden Malaria Settings for Long-Acting Malaria Chemoprevention

Antimalarial medications are recommended for chemoprevention as part of malaria control programs to decrease the morbidity and mortality related to more than 200 million infections each year. We sought to evaluate patient and provider acceptability of malaria chemoprevention in a long-acting formulation. We administered questionnaires to patients and providers in malaria endemic districts in Kenya and Zambia. Questions explored preferences and concerns around long-acting antimalarial formulations compared with oral formulations. We recruited 202 patient respondents (Kenya, n = 102; Zambia, n = 100) and 215 provider respondents (Kenya, n = 105; Zambia, n = 110). Long-acting injection was preferred to oral pills, whereas oral pills were preferred to implant or transdermal administration by patient respondents. Of 202 patient respondents, 80% indicated that they 'definitely would try' malaria chemoprevention offered by injection instead of oral pills. Of parents or guardians, 84% of 113 responded that they 'definitely would' have their child age < 12 years and 90% of 88 'definitely would' have their child ≥12 years receive an injection for malaria prevention. Provider respondents indicated that they would be more likely to prescribe a long-acting injectable product compared with an oral product for malaria chemoprevention in adults (70%), adolescents ages 12 years and older (67%), and children <12 years (81%). Potential for prolonged adverse effects with long-acting products was the highest concern for patient respondents, while higher medication-related cost was cited as the most concerning barrier to implementation by providers. Overall, these findings indicate enthusiasm for the development of long-acting injectable antimalarials to provide individual delivery method options across age groups.

Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotic Treatment for Schizophrenia in Asian Population: A Scoping Review

Evidence of comparative benefits of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in Asian patients with schizophrenia has been inconsistent. This scoping review aimed to synthesize the current evidence in the past ten years and provide an overview of efficacy, safety, treatment adherence, patient attitudes, and healthcare resource utilization of LAI in this population. A systematic search was conducted with a pre-defined search strategy in six electronic databases including Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycArticles. A total of 46 studies were included, including 15 cohort studies, 13 single-arm trials, 10 randomized controlled trials, four mirror-image studies, three cross-sectional studies, and one controlled clinical trial. Paliperidone palmitate once-monthly injection (27/46) and risperidone LAI (14/46) were the most frequently investigated LAIs. Compared with oral antipsychotic medications (OAMs), LAIs demonstrated a lower rate of relapse/hospitalization and comparable improvement in efficacy. Adverse events (AEs) were similar between LAIs and OAMs, although types and incidence varied. Significant reduction in the length of hospitalization and number of outpatient visits/inpatient admission was observed after initiation of LAIs. These findings suggest that LAI demonstrated comparable efficacy and safety among Asian populations with schizophrenia in comparison to OAMs. Better adherence and lower relapse were observed in patients receiving LAIs from published evidence. Future research is warranted to better understand the comprehensive performance of LAI in specific population or context.

Benzodiazepines and Mood Stabilizers in Schizophrenia Patients Treated with Oral versus Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics-An Observational Study

Schizophrenia is a chronic, invalidating, and polymorphic disease, characterized by relapses and remission periods. The main treatment option in schizophrenia are antipsychotics, administered as an oral or as a long-acting injectable (LAI) formulation. Although international guidelines rarely recommend it, mood stabilizers (MS) and/or benzodiazepines (BZD) are frequently prescribed as adjunctive therapy in schizophrenia patients for various reasons. This is an observational, cross-sectional study including stabilized schizophrenia patients. A total of 315 patients were enrolled. Of these, 77 patients (24.44%) were stabilized on LAIs and 238 (75.56%) patients on oral antipsychotics (OAP). Eighty-four patients (26.66%) had concomitant treatment with MS and 119 patients (37.77%) had concomitant benzodiazepine treatment. No statistical significance was observed in MS or BZD use between LAIs and OAPs. In total, 136 patients (43.17%) were stabilized on antipsychotic monotherapy. Our study shows that the long-term use of benzodiazepines and mood stabilizers remains elevated among stabilized schizophrenia patients, regardless of the antipsychotic formulation (oral or LAI). Patients receiving second-generation LAI antipsychotics (SGA-LAI) seem to be more likely to be stabilized on monotherapy compared to those receiving oral antipsychotics. Further randomized controlled trials are necessary in order to clarify the benefits of the current drug polypharmacy trends.

A 10-Year Observational Study of the Use, Acceptability and Effectiveness of Long-Acting Paliperidone Palmitate: Implications for Clinical Decision Making

BACKGROUND

Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) have been shown to improve adherence and prevent relapse in the treatment of schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, though longitudinal data on treatment outcomes are limited.

OBJECTIVES

To establish the long-term acceptability and effectiveness of paliperidone palmitate once monthly (PP1M).

METHODS

This independent 10-year mirror image study was carried out in a large urban mental health provider. The study evaluated the retention and hospitalization rates 5 years following initiation of PP1M in a naturalistic patient cohort of all adult patients who were newly initiated on PP1M between 2011 and 2015. Electronic records were used to compare the frequency and length of hospital admissions in the 5 years before and after introduction of PP1M. Switching and discontinuation rates and reasons were also recorded with a separate analysis of patients who continued and discontinued PP1M during the study period.

RESULTS

A total of 167 patients were included in the study (70% with schizophrenia, 30% with other diagnoses). Discontinuation rates were 24%, 15%, 17%, 5% and 8% in years 1-5, respectively; poor tolerability was the most common cause for stopping PP1M. Demographic and clinical factors such as age, sex, diagnosis and care setting did not discriminate between continuers and discontinuers. The group that completed 5 years on PP1M (46%) showed an overall reduction of 72% in the mean number and 68% in the mean length of admissions compared to the 5-year period before initiation, with more than half of the patients requiring no admission at all during this period of time (median = 0). On the contrary, discontinuers demonstrated worse outcomes in overall bed occupancy than continuers. Findings were overall similar across the total cohort and schizophrenia-only group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study has one of the longest durations of follow up of a naturalistic cohort treated with LAIs confirming sustained improvements for patients who continued treatment for up to 5 years with implicit implications for cost effectiveness. Study findings may facilitate shared decision making in this area, overcoming some of the common barriers for use.

The Use of Second-Generation Antipsychotics in Patients with Severe Schizophrenia in the Real World: The Role of the Route of Administration and Dosage-A 5-Year Follow-Up

To assess the impact of the route of administration and doses of second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) on treatment adherence, hospital admissions, and suicidal behaviour in patients with severe schizophrenia (Clinical Global Impression−Severity−CGI-S ≥ 5), we implemented an observational 5-year follow-up study. A total of 37.5% of the patients on oral antipsychotics (Aps) and 11.5% of those on long-acting injectables (LAIs) abandoned the treatment (p < 0.001). There were no differences in treatment discontinuation between the LAI-AP standard and high-dose groups. A total of 28.1% of the patients on oral Aps had at least one hospitalisation, as well as 13.1% of patients on LAIs (p < 0.001). There were fewer hospitalisations of patients on LAIs in the high-dose group (p < 0.05). Suicide attempts were recorded for 18% of patients on oral Aps but only for 4.6% of patients on LAIs (p < 0.001). No differences were found between the dosage groups on LAIs. Tolerability was good for all Aps and somewhat better for LAIs than oral Aps in terms of side effects (p < 0.05). There were no differences between the standard and high-dose groups. More patients discontinued treatment due to side effects in the oral AP group (p < 0.01). LAI SGA treatment was more effective than oral AP in terms of adherence and treatment outcomes for managing people with severe schizophrenia. Moreover, significant improvements were found that favour high-dose LAI SGA treatment for some of these patients. This study highlights the need to consider LAI antipsychotics and high-dose strategies for patients with severe schizophrenia.

Comparison of Extrapyramidal Symptoms Among Outpatients With Schizophrenia on Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics

BACKGROUND

Extrapyramidal symptoms (EPSs) are adverse effects of antipsychotics. Different risks of EPSs have been attributed to the 3 classes of antipsychotics. This study aimed to assess EPS in a clinical sample of schizophrenia patients who are on LAI and compare the severity of EPSs among the following 3 antipsychotic groups: (1) partial agonist, (2) second-generation antipsychotics, and (3) first-generation antipsychotics.

METHODS

Ninety-two patients were recruited from the Schizophrenia Program Injection Clinic. Using the Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale (ESRS), severity of EPS was assessed and information regarding factors associated with risk of EPS, including coprescriptions, comorbidities, and demographics, was obtained from medical charts. Group differences in ESRS scores and subscores were analyzed using 1-way analyses of variances.

RESULTS

Among the 3 groups, there was no significant difference in total ESRS scores and subscores. Risperidone was associated with higher ESRS scores when compared with paliperidone, aripiprazole, and flupenthixol. Doses above maximum were commonly used in the paliperidone group, and there was no significant difference in total ESRS scores between the low, average, or above-maximum doses of paliperidone.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated a comparative risk of EPS across all 3 antipsychotic classes. Risperidone was associated with more EPS compared with other medications. A higher threshold for the "maximum dose" of paliperidone could be considered and higher doses used with the same cautions as low-average doses.

Risk of Drug-induced Movement Disorders with Newer Antipsychotic Agents

Background:

The last decade has seen development of numerous novel antipsychotic drugs with unique mechanisms including long-acting formulations for clinical use. A comparative assessment of these new drugs with each other and previous antipsychotics have not been performed with regards to risk for drug-induced movement disorders (DIMD).

Methods:

Medline was searched from January 2010 to February 2022 for primary research articles and review articles in English using the search terms “extrapyramidal” and “tardive” with individual drug names of novel antipsychotics.

Results:

We identified articles describing the risk of DIMD with 6 novel antipsychotics, 4 novel formulations, and 3 experimental antipsychotics. Both short- and long-term data generally showed comparable to lower risk of DIMD with novel antipsychotics and recent long-acting formulations compared to previously marketed antipsychotics.

Discussion:

Several novel antipsychotics, particularly lumateperone and pimavanserin, show promise in being able to treat psychosis while reducing the risk of DIMD. Long-acting paliperidone may reduce risk of DIMD while other long-acting injectable formulations of SGA have similar risk of DIMD compared to oral formulations. New drug targets for treating psychosis without dopamine blockade also show promise.

Effectiveness of More Personalized, Case-Managed, and Multicomponent Treatment for Patients with Severe Schizophrenia Compared to the Standard Treatment: A Ten-Year Follow-Up

Case management is a model of personalized intervention in people with severe mental illness. To explore the treatment adherence and effectiveness of patients with severe schizophrenia (Clinical Global Impression Severity, CGI-S ≥ 5) undergoing treatment in a community-based, case-managed program (CMP) with an integrated pharmacological and psychosocial approach compared with the standard treatment, an observational, ten-year follow-up study was conducted on patients treated in mental health units (MHUs) or a CMP (n = 688). Treatment discontinuation, hospitalizations, suicide attempts, and antipsychotic (AP) medications were recorded. Clinical severity was assessed with the CGI-S. Adherence to the CMP was higher than adherence to standard treatment (p < 0.001). There were fewer hospitalizations and suicide attempts in the CMP (p < 0.001). The clinical severity decreased more in the CMP (p < 0.005). Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic medication was more closely related to these outcomes than oral antipsychotics (APs) were (p < 0.001). Patients with severe schizophrenia in an integrated CMP recorded higher treatment compliance and better outcomes compared with standard care. Treatment with LAI APs was linked to these outcomes. A personalized combination of case management and LAI AP medication was more effective in these patients than standard treatment and oral APs.

A naturalistic study on the effectiveness of long-acting antipsychotics in an early intervention program for patients with recent-onset psychosis

AIM

To evaluate the impact of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) on the risk of hospitalization and the length of hospitalization in the setting of an early intervention program for patients with recent-onset psychosis.

METHODS

Observational, retrospective study conducted under routine clinical practice conditions. We included all patients admitted from July 2015 to April 2020 to the Early Intervention Program in Psychosis. We analysed the incidence of hospitalization and hospitalization days before and after treatment with LAIs and calculated the incidence rate ratio (IRR). We also compared the outcomes of patients treated with LAIs with those of the patients maintained on oral antipsychotics using a binomial negative regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 170 patients were included in the program. Of them, 34 (20%) received LAIs (aripiprazole [n = 22], and paliperidone/risperidone [n = 12]). There was an 89% reduction in the incidence of hospitalizations after treatment with LAIs (IRR 0.11, 95%CI 0.05-0.21; p < .0001). The IRR for LAIs vs. oral antipsychotics was 0.87 (95%CI, 0.24-3.18; p = .829). The presence of a substance use disorder significantly increased the rate of hospitalizations by 123% (IRR 2.23, 95%CI 1.31-3.78). Analyses of hospitalization days showed similar results.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that LAIs are useful for the management of patients with recent-onset psychosis who fail treatment with oral antipsychotics. Whether LAIs are superior to oral antipsychotics as first-line treatment of patients with early psychosis and/or could play a special role in managing patients with early psychosis and comorbid substance use disorders should be further evaluated.

Efficacy of long-acting injectable versus oral antipsychotic drugs in early psychosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

Long-acting injectable antipsychotic drugs (LAIs) are often used as an alternative to oral antipsychotics (OAPs) in individuals with psychosis who demonstrate poor medication adherence. Previous meta-analyses have found mixed results on the efficacy of LAIs, compared to OAPs, in patients with psychotic disorders. The objective of this meta-analysis was to compare the effectiveness of using LAIs versus OAPs in the early stages of psychosis.

METHODS

Major electronic databases were used to search for any studies examining the comparative effectiveness (i.e., relapse, adherence, hospitalization, and all-cause discontinuation) of any LAIs versus OAPs in early stages of psychosis. Studies published up to 6 June, 2019 were included and no language restriction was applied. Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of schizophrenia or related disorder, where patients were in their first episode or had a duration of illness ≤5 years. Data were analysed using a random-effects model.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies (n = 10 584) were included, of which were 7 RCTs, 7 observational studies, and 1 post-hoc analysis. We found that LAIs provided advantages over OAPs in terms of relapse rates. No significant differences were found between LAI and OAP groups in terms of all-cause discontinuation, hospitalization, and adherence rates. However, considering only RCTs revealed advantages of LAIs over OAPs in terms of hospitalization rates.

CONCLUSIONS

LAIs may provide benefits over OAPs with respect to reducing relapse and hospitalization rates in early psychosis patients. There is a need for larger and better-designed studies comparing OAPs and LAIs specifically in early psychosis patients.

The effect of long-acting injectable antipsychotic medications compared with oral antipsychotic medications among people with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic medications may be an important modality of reducing costs, improving symptoms, and fostering quality of life outcomes for those with schizophrenia. Our objective was to systematically review and conduct a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of LAIs compared with oral antipsychotics on medication adherence, symptom remission/relapse, rehospitalization, outpatient visits, emergency department visits, healthcare costs, and social functioning. We performed a systematic search of PsycInfo, CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus databases to examine studies meeting inclusion criteria prior to August 30th, 2020. Randomized controlled trials, retrospective studies, prospective studies among people with schizophrenia with at least 6-month follow-up data were obtained. Overall effect sizes and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with random-effects modeling. We found 75 articles meeting our inclusion criteria, including 341 730 individuals with schizophrenia. Systematic review results indicated that LAIs compared with orals improved medication adherence (25/29 studies), symptom remission/relapse (10/18 studies), rehospitalizations (26/49 studies), emergency department visits (9/17 studies), medical costs (11/15 studies), and social functioning (5/9 studies); however, LAIs also increased outpatient visits (7/16 studies) and pharmacy costs (10/10 studies). Meta-analytic results of studies with similar outcome measures did not find differences between LAIs and orals in respect to outcomes, except lowering emergency department visits and increasing pharmacy costs. The differences between the results of the narrative synthesis and the meta-analyses were possibly because of the low availability of studies with similar outcomes in the pooled analyses. Our overall results suggest that LAIs are at least comparable to orals in supporting important healthcare outcomes for those with schizophrenia. These findings support clinical practice in encouraging providers to prescribe LAIs when indicated.

Correlation between telomere length and efficacy of oral and long-acting injectable antipsychotics on severity and cognitive impairment of schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE

To study the correlation between telomere length (TL) and long-acting injectable (LAI) and oral atypical antipsychotic (OAA) efficacy on schizophrenia (SCZ) severity and cognitive impairment.

METHODS

Sixty Schizophrenia patients of 18-50 years and of either sex were included in a 12-week study. Thirty patients were recruited in each group, LAI and OAA. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) neuropsychological battery tests were evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks. TL was estimated at baseline.

RESULTS

Both groups showed a significant improvement in PANSS and NIMHANS battery test scores after treatment (p < 0.001) within the group, though not between the groups. Mean TL at baseline was 407.58 ± 143.93 and 443.40 ± 178.46 in LAI and OAA groups respectively. A significant negative correlation (r = -0.28, p = 0.03) of TL was seen with the mean change in negative PANSS score after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

LAI antipsychotics are similar to OAA in decreasing the disorder severity and improving the cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Also, patients who have shorter TL show greater improvement in the negative PANSS score. Hence, TL holds the potential of predicting antipsychotic drug response in schizophrenia patients.KEY POINTSLong-acting injectable antipsychotic was comparable to oral atypical antipsychotics in bringing out improvement in disorder severity, cognitive functions over 12 weeks.Shorter telomere length has been found to be associated with a greater response in negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Sexual dysfunction in people treated with long-acting injectable antipsychotics in monotherapy or polypharmacy: a naturalistic study

Sexual dysfunction, psychosis, and antipsychotics are known to be related, but the precise association between them is still unknown. Most evidence about the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in people treated with antipsychotic drugs comes from studies with restrictive samples. That is why our main objective was to determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in a real-life sample of outpatients treated with antipsychotics, considering gender. A cross-sectional naturalistic study was developed, including people treated with long-acting injectable antipsychotics, with or without other psychotropic drugs. Participants were interviewed to assess sexual satisfaction through a Likert scale (0 to 10) and the presence of sexual dysfunction (the Psychotropic-Related Sexual Dysfunction Questionnaire, PRSexDQ-SALSEX). The participants also had a blood test to determine prolactin (men and women) and testosterone levels (men only). A total of 131 people participated in the study (90 men and 41 women). Some extent of sexual dysfunction was found in 62.2% of men and 51.2% of women. The most frequent sexual dysfunction symptom for both genders was the loss of libido (45%). Hyperprolactinemia was present in 56% of men and 61% of women. The presence of sexual dysfunction was associated with higher doses of antipsychotics, hyperprolactinemia, and smoking in men and with smoking and hyperprolactinemia in postmenopausal women. This study provides real-life evidence of sexual dysfunction and hyperprolactinemia in persons treated with long-acting injectable antipsychotics segregated by gender. The high rates of sexual dysfunction and hyperprolactinemia detected corroborate the need to consider these aspects in clinical practice.

Case Report: Long-Acting Oral Cariprazine

Introduction

Cariprazine is a third-generation antipsychotic, approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and used off-label for schizoaffective disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Cariprazine is a partial agonist at dopamine receptors D2 and D3 and serotonin receptor 5HT1A and an antagonist at serotonin receptors 5HT2B and 5HT2A. It is metabolized by CYP3A4 in desmetyl-cariprazine and didesmethyl-cariprazine, both active metabolites with a half-life of 1-2 days and 2-3 weeks, respectively.

Case Report

Here we show the cases of 3 outpatients diagnosed with bipolar I disorder (two patients) and schizoaffective disorder (one patients) and characterized by low adherence to treatment, satisfactory cognitive and personal functioning and average disease severity to whom we administered cariprazine as a monotherapy, on a two-times a week schedule (i.e., every 72-96 h). We evaluated response to treatment and disease remission according to conventional definitions, using rating scales BPRS, PANSS and BDI-II. Two-times a week treatment was set either after a disease relapse (one patient), after a sustained remission obtained with daily administration of cariprazine (one patient) or since our first evaluation (one patient). After 4 weeks of treatment all three patients satisfied criteria for response to treatment and remission, a result that was sustained for 8 (in one patients) and 12 months (in other two patients) and still ongoing.

Discussion

Reported results support our hypothesis that long half-lives of cariprazine and its metabolites provide an adequate therapeutic response with a two-times a week administration. In selected patients, cariprazine administered as a "oral long-acting" seems effective in treating acute episodes of illness and in sustaining remission, combining advantages of oral and long-acting injectable antipsychotics concerning therapeutic alliance.

Long-Term Real-World Effectiveness of Aripiprazole Once-Monthly. Treatment Persistence and Its Correlates in the Italian and Spanish Clinical Practice: A Pooled Analysis

BACKGROUND

One of the most significant risk factors for relapse and hospitalization in schizophrenia is non-adherence to antipsychotic medications, very common in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the treatment persistence to aripiprazole once-monthly (AOM) and the factors affecting it in the pooled population of two similar studies performed previously in two different European countries.

METHODS

Pooled analysis of two non-interventional, retrospective, patient record-based studies: DOMINO and PROSIGO. Both analyzed treatment persistence after starting AOM treatment in the real-world setting. The primary variable was persistence with AOM treatment during the first 6 months after treatment initiation. A multivariate Cox regression model was used to evaluate the influence of several baseline characteristics on the persistence.

RESULTS

The study population comprised 352 patients included in the two studies, DOMINO (n = 261) and PROSIGO (n = 91). The overall persistence with AOM treatment at the end of the 6-month observation period was 82.4%. The multivariate analysis showed that patients with "secondary school" level of education present a 67.4% lower risk of discontinuation within 6 months after AOM initiation when compared with "no/compulsory education patients" (p = 0.024). In addition, patients with an occupation present a 62.7% lower risk of discontinuation when compared with unemployed patients (p = 0.023). Regarding clinical history, patients with a Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale (CGI-S) score ≤3 present a 78.1% lower risk of discontinuation when compared with patients with a CGI-S score ≥6 (p = 0.044), while patients with a time since schizophrenia diagnosis ≤8.4 years present a 52.9% lower risk of discontinuation when compared with the rest of patients (p = 0.039).

CONCLUSION

The AOM persistence rate observed in this study was 82.4%, which was higher than that reported in clinical trials, aligned with other real-life studies and higher than reported for other long-acting injectable antipsychotics. The persistence rate was high in complex patients, although patients with higher level of education, active occupation, lower initial CGI-S score and shorter time since the diagnosis of schizophrenia appear to be more likely to remain persistent with AOM during the 6 months after initiation.

Proteomic Analysis of Plasma Markers in Patients Maintained on Antipsychotics: Comparison to Patients Off Antipsychotics and Normal Controls

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) share many features: overlap in mood and psychotic symptoms, common genetic predisposition, treatment with antipsychotics (APs), and similar metabolic comorbidities. The pathophysiology of both is still not well defined, and no biomarkers can be used clinically for diagnosis and management. This study aimed to assess the plasma proteomics profile of patients with SZ and BD maintained on APs compared to those who had been off APs for 6 months and to healthy controls (HCs).

METHODS

We analyzed the data using functional enrichment, random forest modeling to identify potential biomarkers, and multivariate regression for the associations with metabolic abnormalities.

RESULTS

We identified several proteins known to play roles in the differentiation of the nervous system like NTRK2, CNTN1, ROBO2, and PLXNC1, which were downregulated in AP-free SZ and BD patients but were "normalized" in those on APs. Other proteins (like NCAM1 and TNFRSF17) were "normal" in AP-free patients but downregulated in patients on APs, suggesting that these changes are related to medication's effects. We found significant enrichment of proteins involved in neuronal plasticity, mainly in SZ patients on APs. Most of the proteins associated with metabolic abnormalities were more related to APs use than having SZ or BD. The biomarkers identification showed specific and sensitive results for schizophrenia, where two proteins (PRL and MRC2) produced adequate results.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirmed the utility of blood samples to identify protein signatures and mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology and treatment of SZ and BD.

Metabolic disturbances associated with antipsychotic drug treatment in patients with schizophrenia: State-of-the-art and future perspectives

Metabolic disturbances and obesity are major cardiovascular risk factors in patients with schizophrenia, resulting in a higher mortality rate and shorter life expectancy compared with those in the general population. Although schizophrenia and metabolic disturbances may share certain genetic or pathobiological risks, antipsychotics, particularly those of second generation, may further increase the risk of weight gain and metabolic disturbances in patients with schizophrenia. This review included articles on weight gain and metabolic disturbances related to antipsychotics and their mechanisms, monitoring guidelines, and interventions. Nearly all antipsychotics are associated with weight gain, but the degree of the weight gain varies considerably. Although certain neurotransmitter receptor-binding affinities and hormones are correlated with weight gain and specific metabolic abnormalities, the precise mechanisms underlying antipsychotic-induced weight gain and metabolic disturbances remain unclear. Emerging evidence indicates the role of genetic polymorphisms associated with antipsychotic-induced weight gain and antipsychotic-induced metabolic disturbances. Although many guidelines for screening and monitoring antipsychotic-induced metabolic disturbances have been developed, they are not routinely implemented in clinical care. Numerous studies have also investigated strategies for managing antipsychotic-induced metabolic disturbances. Thus, patients and their caregivers must be educated and motivated to pursue a healthier life through smoking cessation and dietary and physical activity programs. If lifestyle intervention fails, switching to another antipsychotic drug with a lower metabolic risk or adding adjunctive medication to mitigate weight gain should be considered. Antipsychotic medications are essential for schizophrenia treatment, hence clinicians should monitor and manage the resulting weight gain and metabolic disturbances.

The use of concurrent long-acting injectable antipsychotic therapy with paliperidone palmitate and aripiprazole monohydrate in a patient with schizophrenia

International schizophrenia guidelines endorse seeking the patient's preference for guiding antipsychotic therapy. There exists a small niche of patients who prefer, or are required to use, long-acting injectable antipsychotic medications due to the adherence benefit. However, they may not be able to achieve adequate symptom reduction prior to experiencing treatment-limiting adverse effects from a single agent. Here, we present a patient case prescribed concurrent long-acting injectable antipsychotic therapy with paliperidone palmitate and aripiprazole monohydrate due to patient preference in the setting of a history of nonadherence to oral medications, treatment-limiting adverse effects to long-acting injectable paliperidone, and failure to achieve adequate symptom reduction with long-acting injectable aripiprazole monotherapy.

Evidence-Based Expert Consensus Regarding Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics for Schizophrenia from the Taiwanese Society of Biological Psychiatry and Neuropsychopharmacology (TSBPN)

OBJECTIVE

Schizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating psychiatric disorder with a high risk of relapse. Nonadherence to medication is a significant contributor to poor outcomes. Although long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics prevent the relapse of schizophrenia, several factors present obstacles to the use of LAI antipsychotics, and clinical guidelines for LAI antipsychotics remain limited. To provide clinical recommendations, the Taiwanese Society of Biological Psychiatry and Neuropsychopharmacology (TSBPN) developed consensus statements for the effectiveness, target populations, initiation timing, and particular clinical situations for the use of LAI antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia.

METHODS

After a systematic literature review, a working group drafted consensus statements for the selected clinical topics and determined the levels of evidence-based recommendation based on the latest World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry grading system. A scientific committee evaluated the draft statements and decided the final recommendations regarding the grades by anonymous voting after incorporating clinical experience and practice into the evidence from research.

RESULTS

The TSBPN proposed ten consensus statements for the application of LAI antipsychotics. The current evidence supported that LAI antipsychotics could be a treatment option for all schizophrenia patients, including first-episode patients. LAI antipsychotics could be initiated both during an acute psychotic episode and when patients are stable. The consensus also gave recommendations for particular clinical situations with insufficient scientific data, such as for use in elderly or adolescent patients, patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, and breakthrough psychosis, and strategies to assist patients/caregivers with decision making.

CONCLUSIONS

The consensus statements developed by the TSBPN provide evidence-based clinical recommendations and could give clinicians more confidence when prescribing LAI antipsychotics to treat schizophrenia, thereby improving treatment outcomes.

Adherence, Tolerability and Effective Doses of Aripiprazole Once-monthly in the Long-term Treatment of Patients with Severe Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

The evaluation of long-term effectiveness and tolerability of Aripiprazole Once-monthly (AOM) is yet scarce, and severely ill patients have not been specifically studied.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to explore the long-term adherence, effectiveness and tolerability of AOM in the treatment of patients with severe (Clinical Global Impression-Severity, CGI-S ≥ 5) schizophrenia, and whether high-dose therapy may benefit patients inadequately controlled on standard doses.

METHOD

Six-year mirror-image study, with 36-month prospective follow-up, was conducted on patients with severe schizophrenia who underwent treatment with AOM (n = 60). Assessment included the CGI-S, the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO-DAS), the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS), laboratory tests, and weight and adverse effects reported. Reasons for treatment discontinuation, hospital admissions and psychiatric medications in the previous three years and during the follow-up were recorded.

RESULTS

The average dose was found to be 780 (120) mg/28 days. Tolerability was good, with few side effects or biological parameters alterations reported. There were three discharges due to adverse effects, two due to lack of effectiveness and one treatment abandoning. Weight and prolactin levels were found to be decreased. CGI-S and WHO-DAS decreased (p < 0.001), and MARS increased (p < 0.001). There were less treatment abandoning, hospital admissions (p < 0.0001) and concomitant medication (p<0.01) than during the previous 36 months.

CONCLUSION

Treatment adherence and tolerability of AOM were found to be remarkable, even in those patients on high doses. AOM showed effectiveness in patients with severe schizophrenia, who recorded less hospitalizations and clinical severity and disability, although a considerable percentage of them needed higher doses than labeled.

Oral Versus Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotic Treatment for People With Severe Schizophrenia: A 5-Year Follow-up of Effectiveness

ABSTRACT

The objective here is to compare the effectiveness of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI-APs) and oral ones (OAPs) in patients with severe (Global Clinical Impression-Severity ≥ 5) schizophrenia (N = 688). A 5-year follow-up study has been conducted in patients undergoing standard treatment in mental health units (MHUs) or on a severe mental illness program (SMIP). A total of 8.7% of the patients on the SMIP discontinued treatment, whereas 43.6% did so in MHUs (p < 0.0001). In both cases, treatment retention was significantly higher in patients on LAI-APs (p < 0.001). Also, hospital admissions were in both cases fewer among those on LAI-APs (p < 0.001). There was a significant link between suicide attempts and OAP treatment (p < 0.01). Given the relationship between the use of LAI-APs versus oral treatments in achieving higher adherence and less relapses and suicide attempts, the use of second-generation antipsychotics LAIs should be considered more suitable for people with severe schizophrenia.

Real-World Data on the Adverse Metabolic Effects of Second-Generation Antipsychotics and Their Potential Determinants in Adult Patients: A Systematic Review of Population-Based Studies

INTRODUCTION

To assess the risk of occurrence and potential determinants of metabolic disorders in adult patients treated with second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) under real-world practice conditions.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycInfo were searched in July 2019 from database inception. We included population-based, longitudinal, comparative studies that report the results of the outcomes of interest for adult participants, including diabetes, ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, weight gain/obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. Two reviewers independently extracted data on the study design, study quality, and study outcomes.

RESULTS

We included 40 studies. Most studies showed that clozapine and olanzapine were associated with an increased likelihood of developing diabetes, while the results for risperidone and quetiapine were mixed. Although less well studied, ziprasidone and aripiprazole appeared to not be associated with the occurrence of diabetes. Information on antipsychotic-induced weight gain/obesity is extremely scarce. Regarding dyslipidemia, aripiprazole was not associated with an increased likelihood of developing dyslipidemia, clozapine was associated with an increased likelihood of developing dyslipidemia, and risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, and ziprasidone showed mixed results. Two studies suggested an association between ziprasidone and the occurrence of hypertension. Several studies found that the occurrence of a metabolic disorder acted as a risk factor for the development of other metabolic disorders. We did not find information on brexpiprazole, cariprazine, or lurasidone, and data on any long-acting SGA were lacking.

CONCLUSION

Although there are relevant differences among SGAs concerning the risk of metabolic disorders, it appears that none of the SGAs included in our review are fully devoid of these disturbances.

Predictors of persistence in patients with schizophrenia treated with aripiprazole once-monthly long-acting injection in the Spanish clinical practice: a retrospective, observational study

Background

Poor adherence to antipsychotic drugs is a major problem in schizophrenia management and one of the most important risk factors for relapse and hospitalization. To date, there is little evidence on persistence predictors with long-acting injectable antipsychotics, especially with aripiprazole once-monthly (AOM). This study (NCT03130478) aimed to describe the impact of demographic and clinical characteristics on persistence with AOM treatment in real-world setting.

Methods

This was an observational, retrospective, non-interventional study that included adult patients with schizophrenia who were initiated on AOM during a schizophrenia-related hospitalization. Data were retrospectively collected from patients’ medical records. The primary variable was persistence with AOM, measured as the number of days from AOM initiation up to all-cause AOM discontinuation during the first six months after treatment index.

Results

140 patients were enrolled and 91 fulfilled the selection criteria. Six months after AOM initiation, 65 (71.4%) patients were still receiving AOM treatment, whereas 26 (28.6%) were not. The mean (standard deviation) time to AOM treatment discontinuation in the first six months was 138.1 (6.8) days, with most of the patients discontinuing at the first 28 days. The risk of AOM discontinuation in the first six months increases 1.05-fold annually since schizophrenia diagnosis (p=0.003); moreover, this risk increases 2.86-fold in patients with concomitant schizophrenia medication at AOM initiation compared to patients without concomitant schizophrenia treatments (p=0.02).

Conclusions

Main factors predicting persistence with AOM treatment at six months in clinical practice are fewer years since schizophrenia diagnosis and not receiving concomitant schizophrenia treatments at AOM initiation.

Is Cannabidiol During Neurodevelopment a Promising Therapy for Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorders?

Schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are psychiatric neurodevelopmental disorders that cause high levels of functional disabilities. Also, the currently available therapies for these disorders are limited. Therefore, the search for treatments that could be beneficial for the altered course of the neurodevelopment associated with these disorders is paramount. Preclinical and clinical evidence points to cannabidiol (CBD) as a promising strategy. In this review, we discuss clinical and preclinical studies on schizophrenia and ASD investigating the behavioral, molecular, and functional effects of chronic treatment with CBD (and with cannabidivarin for ASD) during neurodevelopment. In summary, the results point to CBD's beneficial potential for the progression of these disorders supporting further investigations to strengthen its use.

Identification of Risk Factors to Predict the Occurrences of Relapses in Individuals with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder in Iran

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (SSD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder with a modest treatment outcome. In addition, relapses are commonplace. Here, we sought to identify factors that predict relapse latency and frequency. To this end, we retrospectively analyzed data for individuals with SSD. Medical records of 401 individuals with SSD were analyzed (mean age: 25.51 years; 63.6% males) covering a five-year period. Univariate and multivariate Penalized Likelihood Models with Shared Log-Normal Frailty were used to determine the correlation between discharge time and relapse and to identify risk factors. A total of 683 relapses were observed in males, and 422 relapses in females. The Relapse Hazard Ratio (RHR) decreased with age (RHR = 0.99, CI: (0.98–0.998)) and with participants’ adherence to pharmacological treatment (HR = 0.71, CI: 0.58–0.86). In contrast, RHR increased with a history of suicide attempts (HR = 1.32, CI: 1.09–1.60), and a gradual compared to a sudden onset of disease (HR = 1.45, CI: 1.02–2.05). Gender was not predictive. Data indicate that preventive and therapeutic interventions may be particularly important for individuals who are younger at disease onset, have a history of suicide attempts, have experienced a gradual onset of disease, and have difficulties adhering to medication.

The Promise of Improved Adherence With Long-Acting Antiretroviral Therapy: What Are the Data?

As with other chronic conditions, adherence to daily medications remains a challenge for many individuals living with HIV due to structural, behavioral, and social barriers. Unfortunately, high levels of adherence to antiretroviral therapy are required to maintain virologic suppression. Alternative approaches are being explored to decrease the burden of daily pill administration, including long-acting injectable, oral, and implantable products. Phase 3 data support the efficacy of nanoformulated injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine for HIV treatment in patients with undetectable viremia, but we have yet to learn how this strategy may benefit those with medication adherence challenges. Despite this, the affected community and HIV providers are very interested in exploring the role of long-acting therapies to address some types of barriers to medication adherence. This review summarizes available information about the potential for long-acting therapy to improve adherence for some patients and outlines associated opportunities and challenges with the implementation of long-acting therapy for the treatment and prevention of HIV.

Preliminary efficacy and tolerability profiles of first versus second-generation Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of second generation (SG) long-acting antipsychotics (LAIAs) versus first generation (FG) LAIAs in schizophrenia. We conducted a comprehensive search in PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO until May 2019. Inclusion criteria for randomized trials included: (1) patients ≥18 years with schizophrenia, (2) efficacy evaluated through the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), (3) safety assessment through clinimetry, laboratory analysis, somatometry or adverse events, and (4) treatment duration ≥12 weeks. Data was synthesized using mean differences (MD) for continuous outcomes and risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous outcomes using a random-effect model. Of 1872 citations, 17 trials were included, and direct comparisons of SG vs FG-LAIAs were observed in 3 (n = 459). SG and FG-LAIAs had similar effects on PANSS scores (MD -1.35; 95% CI -8.33-5.64), tardive dyskinesia (RR 0.99; 95% CI, 0.47-2.07), all-cause discontinuation (RR 1.01; 95% CI 0.75-1.36), discontinuation due to inadequate efficacy (RR 1.13; 95% CI 0.81-1.59) or adverse events (RR 1.08; 95% CI 0.55-2.11). SG-LAIAs reduced the risk of using antiparkinsonian drugs (RR 0.54; 95% CI 0.54-0.76) but significantly increased serum prolactin, weight and BMI. For long-term management, depot preparations of paliperidone, haloperidol, risperidone and fluphenazine were equally effective at symptom control and adherence, with significant differences in their safety profiles. These results however are considerably limited due to the small number of included studies and are therefore preliminary, not generalizable. More clinical trials are required to obtain a broader perspective of SG-LAIAs compared to FG-LAIAs.

The Gut Microbiome and Treatment-Resistance in Schizophrenia

The effect of antipsychotic medication is poor in 30-40% of patients with schizophrenia; treatment resistance is usually met with shifts to new drugs or drug augmentation strategies or a trial of clozapine. The purpose of this review was to examine the potential role of intestinal bacteria in the bioavailability of antipsychotic medication and the possibility that parenterally administered antipsychotics might be able to overcome treatment resistance. Databases were searched with appropriate terms to locate relevant papers dealing with the effect of antipsychotic drugs on the gut microbiome and the effect of bacterial metabolizing enzymes on antipsychotic drugs. Also searched were papers addressing the various current parenteral formulations of antipsychotic drugs. Sixty-five recent pertinent papers were reviewed and the results are suggestive of the premise that there is a drug refractory form of psychosis for which the composition of gut bacteria is responsible, and that parenteral drug administration could overcome the problem.

Real-World Analysis of Switching Patients with Schizophrenia from Oral Risperidone or Oral Paliperidone to Once-Monthly Paliperidone Palmitate

PURPOSE

Reducing the dosing frequency of antipsychotics (APs) with long-acting injectables (LAIs) such as once-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP1M) can improve adherence and clinical outcomes for schizophrenia patients. This US study compared physical and psychiatric comorbidity-related outcomes, AP adherence, healthcare resource utilization (HRU), and costs pre- and post-transition to PP1M among schizophrenia patients treated with oral risperidone/paliperidone pre-PP1M transition.

METHODS

Health insurance claims from the IQVIA™ PharMetrics Plus database (01/01/2012-07/31/2018) were used to identify adults with ≥ 2 schizophrenia diagnoses, ≥ 1 claim for PP1M, and ≥ 30 days of treatment with oral risperidone/paliperidone in the 60 days before the first PP1M claim (i.e., the index date). Comorbidity-related outcomes, adherence to APs (measured via the proportion of days covered [PDC]), all-cause per-patient-per-month (PPPM) HRU, and all-cause PPPM medical, pharmacy, and total costs (i.e., sum of medical and pharmacy costs) during the 6-month periods pre- and post-transition to PP1M were compared using generalized estimating equation models adjusted for repeated measurements. Analyses were replicated in the subset of patients with ≥ 1 all-cause inpatient stay pre-PP1M transition.

FINDINGS

Among 427 schizophrenia patients transitioning from oral risperidone/paliperidone to PP1M, the mean age was 41.1 years and 37.9% were female. Following the PP1M transition, patients were less likely to have claims with a diagnosis for psychoses (odds ratio [OR] 0.41; P < 0.001), hypertension (OR 0.80; P = 0.011), depression (OR 0.70; P < 0.001), drug abuse (OR 0.60; P < 0.001), substance-related and addictive disorders (OR 0.73; P = 0.003), bipolar and related disorders (OR 0.59; P < 0.001), sleep-wake disorders (OR 0.68; P = 0.017), anxiety disorders (OR 0.78; P = 0.034), and other conditions that may require a focus of clinical attention (OR 0.58; P < 0.001). Mean PDC by APs was higher post-PP1M (mean = 0.81) versus pre-PP1M (mean = 0.68) transition. Post-PP1M, patients were less likely to have an all-cause emergency room visit (OR 0.51; P < 0.001) or inpatient stay (OR 0.39; P < 0.001) compared to pre-PP1M. All-cause total healthcare costs remained similar post- versus pre-transition to PP1M (mean monthly cost difference [MMCD] = $228; P = 0.260). Pharmacy costs increased post-PP1M (MMCD = $960; P < 0.001), but were offset by decreasing medical costs (MMCD = - $732; P < 0.001), largely driven by lower costs related to inpatient stays (MMCD = - $695; P < 0.001) and emergency room visits (MMCD = - $63; P < 0.001). For patients with ≥ 1 all-cause inpatient stay pre-PP1M transition (N = 177), a more pronounced improvement in comorbidity-related outcomes, a more pronounced reduction in HRU, and a reduction in total healthcare costs (MMCD = - $1308; P < 0.001) were observed post-transition to PP1M.

IMPLICATIONS

Among schizophrenia patients in the US, transitioning to PP1M following oral risperidone/paliperidone treatment was associated with improved comorbidity-related outcomes, higher adherence, and a reduction in HRU, while remaining cost neutral. Furthermore, patients with ≥ 1 all-cause inpatient stay pre-PP1M transition had significantly lower total healthcare costs post-PP1M transition.

The Impact of Paliperidone Palmitate on Hospitalization in Patients with Schizophrenia: A Retrospective Mirror-image Study

Objective

Whether long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI) are superior to oral antipsychotics remains a controversial question, and results vary depending on the study design. Our study was performed to compare outcomes of oral antipsychotics and paliperidone palmitate (PP) in clinical practice by investigating the numbers of admissions and bed days.

Methods

We performed a retrospective observational mirror-image study at a single medical center, reviewing medical charts to obtain the clinical data. Forty-six patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who had received at least two doses of PP were included in the analysis. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the numbers of bed days and admissions 1 year before starting PP with those numbers at 1 year after.

Results

The mean number of admissions fell from 0.83 to 0.17 per patient (p < 0.0002), and the median fell from 1 to 0. The mean number of bed days decreased significantly, from 24.85 to 8.74 days (p < 0.006). The outcomes remained similar in sensitivity analyses set up with different mirror points.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that initiating PP reduced the mean numbers of hospital admissions and bed days compared with prior oral medication. LAIs may thus be cost effective in practice; its use bringing about cost reductions greater than its purchase cost.

Biological Aspects of Aggression and Violence in Schizophrenia

Although the majority of patients with schizophrenia are not actually violent, an increased tendency toward violent behaviors is known to be associated with schizophrenia. There are several factors to consider when identifying the subgroup of patients with schizophrenia who may commit violent or aggressive acts. Comorbidity with substance abuse is the most important clinical indicator of increased aggressive behaviors and crime rates in patients with schizophrenia. Genetic studies have proposed that polymorphisms in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene and in the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene are related to aggression. Neuroimaging studies have suggested that fronto-limbic dysfunction may be related to aggression or violence. By identifying specific risk factors, a more efficient treatment plan to prevent violent behavior in schizophrenia will be possible. Management of comorbid substance use disorder may help prevent violent events and overall aggression. Currently, clozapine may be the only effective antipsychotic medication to repress aggressive behavior. With the current medical field moving toward tailored medicine, it is important to identify vulnerable schizophrenia populations and provide efficient treatment.

Long-Acting Injections in Schizophrenia: a 3-Year Update on Randomized Controlled Trials Published January 2016-March 2019

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This study was conducted in order to review randomized controlled trial (RCT) data published January 2016-March 2019 on long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) for schizophrenia.

RECENT FINDINGS

Thirty-one RCTs (primary studies = 7; post hoc analyses = 24; n = 4738) compared LAIs vs. placebo (studies = 11, n = 1875), LAIs vs. oral antipsychotics (OAPs) (studies = 7, n = 658), and LAI vs. LAI (studies = 13, n = 2205). LAIs included two new formulations, aripiprazole lauroxil nanocrystal dispersion and subcutaneously injectable risperidone Perseris, as well as aripiprazole lauroxil, aripiprazole once-monthly, paliperidone once-monthly, paliperidone 3-monthly, and risperidone-LAI. Regarding prevention of relapse and hospitalization, LAIs consistently outperformed placebo, being partly superior to OAPs, without relevant LAI-LAI differences. LAIs were comparable to OAPs regarding all-cause discontinuation, functioning, quality of life, and tolerability, being associated with higher patient satisfaction and service engagement. Recent meta-analyses yielded mixed results, but never favoring OAPs over LAIs. In RCTs, LAIs are superior to placebo, but only in some aspects, superior to OAPs. Comparative effectiveness of LAIs vs. OAPs requires further study, ideally in generalizable/real-world samples.

Cannabis use correlates with aggressive behavior and long-acting injectable antipsychotic treatment in Asian patients with schizophrenia

Background: Although cannabis use has been linked with schizophrenia in a dose-response pattern, to our knowledge, the relationship between cannabis and schizophrenia has rarely been reported in Asian population. Aim: We compared the clinical characteristics and psychotropic prescription patterns between cannabis users and non-users among Asian patients with schizophrenia. Moreover, we aimed to identify the independent correlates of cannabis use in these subjects. Methods: We performed the analysis of the data from the Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Patterns for Antipsychotics (REAP-AP), a collaborative consortium survey used to collate the prescription patterns for antipsychotic and other psychotropic medications in patients with schizophrenia in Asia. We included 132 schizophrenia patients in the group of lifetime cannabis use and 1756 in the group that had never used cannabis. A binary logistic model was fitted to detect the clinical correlates of lifetime cannabis use. Results: Adjusting for the effects of age, sex, geographical region, income group, duration of untreated psychosis, and Charlson comordity index level, a binary logistic regression model revealed that lifetime cannabis use was independently associated with aggressive behavior [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.582, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.006-2.490, p = .047] and with long-acting injectable antipsychotic treatment (aOR = 1.796, 95% CI = 1.444-2.820, p = .001). Conclusion: Our findings indicate a close link between lifetime cannabis use and aggressive behavior. The use of long-acting, injectable antipsychotics preferentially treats the aggressive behavior cannabis users among patients with schizophrenia in Asia, especially, the South or Southeast Asia.

Comparative effectiveness of second generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics based on nationwide database research in Hungary

Background

Schizophrenia is a severe condition that affects approximately 1% of the population. Certain elements of antipsychotic treatment can only be examined in large population, thus the need for population-based real-world analyses has been increasing.

Patients and methods

Hungarian National Health Fund database includes all healthcare data of the population of Hungary. All patients diagnosed with schizophrenia between 01.01.2006 and 31.12.2015 were included in the study. We analyzed all patients with newly initiated second-generation antipsychotic during the inclusion period (01.01.2012–31.12.2013). Patients were followed for 2 years. All-cause treatment discontinuation served as the primary outcome of the study. Patients with newly initiated long-acting injectable treatments were further investigated in stratified analyses based on their previous treatment.

Results

106,624 patients had schizophrenia diagnosis during the study period. 12,232 patients met the inclusion criteria for newly initiating second-generation antipsychotic during the inclusion period. The proportion of patients still on treatment after 1 year for oral treatments varied between 17% (oral risperidone) and 31% (oral olanzapine) while the analogous data for long acting injectables were between 32% (risperidone long acting) and 64% (paliperidone long acting one monthly). The 2-year data were similarly in favor of long-actings. Median time to discontinuation in the oral group varied between 57 days (clozapine) and 121 days (olanzapine). The median time to discontinuation for long-actings was significantly longer: between 176 and 287 days; in case of paliperidone long acting, median was not reached during the observation period. Patients receiving long-acting treatment switched from another long-acting remained on the newly initiated treatment significantly longer than those switched from orals.

Conclusion

Our results indicate the superiority of second generation long-acting antipsychotics with regard to rates of treatment discontinuation and periods of persistence to the assigned medication.

Association between Therapeutic Alliance and Adherence in Outpatient Schizophrenia Patients

Objective

Although various clinical factors that affect medication adherence in schizophrenia have been studied, the role of the therapeutic alliance has not been studied in detail. Accordingly, we investigated the association between medication adherence and therapeutic alliance in patients with schizophrenia treated in a community outpatient clinic in Korea.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 81 outpatients who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for schizophrenia were analyzed. Therapeutic alliance was measured via patient-self-report questionnaires consisting of 12 questions, which evaluate both “affective bond” and “collaborative bond” of alliance. We investigated the relationship between medication adherence and therapeutic alliance through correlation and regression analyses.

Results

Overall therapeutic alliance was weakly associated with medication adherence (r=0.268, p<0.05). Among two factors of therapeutic alliance, “affective bond” was associated with adherence (r=0.302, p<0.05), but collaborative was not. Regression analysis showed that therapeutic alliance significantly predicted medication adherence even after adjustment for duration of treatment, insight, and symptom severity.

Conclusion

Maintaining a favorable therapeutic alliance is associated with medication adherence in schizophrenia. Further, treating patients in a frank and genuine manner might be important to improve adherence.