The effects of adding long-acting injectable antipsychotic drugs to clozapine on relapse and hospitalization in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia: a mirror-image retrospective study

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-33
Author(s):  
Ali Metehan Caliskan ◽  
Munir Karaaslan ◽  
Ikbal Inanli ◽  
Sila Caliskan ◽  
Mehmet Arslan ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix-Martin Werner ◽  
Rafael Coveñas

Background: Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are treated with antipsychotic drugs. Some patients show treatment-resistant forms of psychotic disorders and, in this case, they can be treated with clozapine. In these patients and based on previous reviews on novel antipsychotic drugs, it is important to know whether an add-on therapy with new drugs can ameliorate the positive and negative schizophrenic scale (PANSS) total score. Objective: The aim of this review is to suggest an appropriate treatment for patients with treatment-resistant forms of psychotic disorders. A combination of current available antipsychotic drugs with novel antipsychotic or modulating drugs might improve negative schizophrenic symptoms and cognitive function and thereby social functioning and quality of life. Results: The mechanisms of action, the therapeutic effects and the pharmacokinetic profiles of novel antipsychotic drugs such as cariprazine, brexipiprazole and lumateperone are up-dated. Published case reports of patients with treatmentresistant psychoses are also discussed. These patients were treated with clozapine but a high PANSS total score was observed. Only an add-on therapy with cariprazine improved the score and, above all, negative schizophrenic symptoms and cognitive functions. To ensure a constant antipsychotic drug concentration, long-acting injectable antipsychotic drugs may be a choice for a maintenance therapy in schizophrenia. New modulating drugs, such as receptor positive allosteric modulators (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor; subtype 5 of the metabotropic glutamatergic receptor) and encenicline, an alpha7 nicotinic cholinergic receptor agonist, are being investigated in preclinical and clinical trials. Conclusion: In clinical trials, patients with treatment-resistant forms of psychosis should be examined to know whether a combination therapy with clozapine and a novel antipsychotic drug can ameliorate the PANSS total score. In schizophrenia, long-acting injectable antipsychotic drugs are a safe and tolerable maintenance therapy. In further clinical studies, it should be investigated whether patients with treatment-resistant forms of psychoses can improve negative schizophrenic symptoms and cognitive functions by an add-on therapy with cognition enhancing drugs.



2020 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 102457
Author(s):  
Ali Metehan Caliskan ◽  
Saliha Calisir ◽  
Sila Caliskan ◽  
Mehmet Arslan ◽  
Ikbal Inanli ◽  
...  


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miquel Bioque ◽  
Eduard Parellada ◽  
Clemente García-Rizo ◽  
Sílvia Amoretti ◽  
Adriana Fortea ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Around 30% of patients with schizophrenia are considered treatment resistant (TRS). Only around 40% of TRS patients respond to clozapine. Long acting injectable antipsychotics could be a useful augmentation strategy for nonresponders. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, observational, naturalistic, retrospective, 6-month mirror-image study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of clozapine and paliperidone palmitate association in 50 patients with TRS and other psychotic disorders. Clinical outcomes and side effects were systematically assessed. Results: Six months after starting the combined treatment, participants showed a significant relief of symptoms, decreasing the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale total score from 18.32 ± 7.71 to 7.84 ± 5.16 (p < 0.001). The number of hospitalizations, the length of hospital stays and the number of visits to emergency services also decreased, while an increase of the functionality was observed (Personal and Social Performance total score increased from 46.06 ± 118.7 to 60.86 ± 18.68, p < 0.001). There was also a significant decrease in the number and severity of side effects with the combination therapy, decreasing the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersogelser total score from 10.76 ± 8.04 to 8.82 ± 6.63 (p = 0.004). Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence that combining clozapine with paliperidone palmitate in patients with TRS and other psychotic disorders could be effective and safe, suggesting further research with randomized controlled trials of augmentation strategies for clozapine nonresponder patients. Policy Significance Statement: Patients with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia show a variable response to antipsychotic treatments. Around 30% of patients are considered treatment resistant, indicated by insufficient symptom control to at least two different drugs. In these resistant cases, clozapine should be indicated, as it has shown to be superior to other options. However, only 40% of patients respond to clozapine, being necessary to establish which treatments could best potentiate clozapine action. Combining clozapine with long acting injectable antipsychotics, and particularly paliperidone palmitate, could be a useful strategy. We conducted a multicenter study of 50 patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders comparing the efficacy and tolerability in the 6 month-period prior and after starting the clozapine and paliperidone palmitate association. Our study suggests that this combination could be effective and safer, laying the groundwork for future clinical trials with this combination.



Endocrines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-250
Author(s):  
Marta Araujo-Castro ◽  
Eider Pascual-Corrales ◽  
Héctor Pian ◽  
Ignacio Ruz-Caracuel ◽  
Alberto Acitores Cancela ◽  
...  

Purpose: to determine whether pre-surgical treatment using long-acting somatostatin analogues (SSAs) may improve surgical outcomes in acromegaly. Methods: retrospective study of 48 patients with acromegaly operated by endoscopic transsphenoidal approach and for first time. Surgical remission was evaluated based on the 2010 criteria. Results: most patients, 83.3% (n = 40), harbored macroadenomas and 31.3% (n = 15) invasive pituitary adenomas. In this case, 14 patients were treated with lanreotide LAR and 6 with octreotide LAR, median monthly doses of 97.5 [range 60–120] and 20 [range 20–30] mg, respectively, for at least 3 months preoperatively. Presurgical variables were comparable between pre-treated and untreated patients (p > 0.05). Surgical remission was more frequent in those pre-treated with monthly doses ≥90 mg of lanreotide or ≥30 mg of octreotide than in untreated or pre-treated with lower doses (OR = 4.64, p = 0.025). However, no differences were found between pre-treated and untreated patients when lower doses were included or between those treated for longer than 6 months compared to those untreated or pre-treated for shorter than 6 months. Similarly, no differences were found either in terms of surgical or endocrine complications (OR = 0.65, p = 0.570), independently of the doses and the duration of SSA treatment (p > 0.05). Conclusions: the dose of SSAs is a key factor during pre-surgical treatment, since the beneficial effects in surgical remission were observed with monthly doses equal or higher than 90 mg of lanreotide and 30 mg of octreotide, but not with lower doses.



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Machado Alba

Objective:To determine the trend in the use of medications used to treat asthma in a group of patients affiliated to the Colombian health system. Methods:A retrospective study on prescription patterns of medications used to treat asthma in patients over 5 years of age between 2017 and 2019. Sociodemographic variables, medications used and combinations, persistence of use and prescribing physician were considered. Results:10,706 people with a diagnosis of asthma were identified, with predominance in female sex (56.8 %), median age 32.2 ± 26.1 years. At the start of follow-up, 53.2% of patients aged 5-11 years were receiving monotherapy, mean 1.5 ± 0.6 drugs/patient, especially inhaled corticosteroids (ICS; 55.9%) and short-acting β-agonists (SABA; 55.6%). Moreover, in patients older than 12 years, 53.5% were treated in monotherapy, mean 1.6 ± 0.7 drugs/patient, of which 45.9% were on SABA, and 37.1 % on ICS.Between 63.0% and 83.6% of patients were treated by a general practitioner. The proportion of patients on the ICS/ long-acting β-agonists (LABA) combination grew at 24 months follow-up by 411% and 177%, respectively. 12.5% of patients (495) received triple therapy (ICS/LABA+LAMA [long-acting anticholinergics]), particularly with fluticasone/salmeterol+tiotropium. Conclusions:Patients with a diagnosis of asthma older than 5 years in Colombia are mainly receiving control therapy with ICS, alone or combined with SAMA and, to a lesser extent, with LABA.



2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 333-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Stone ◽  
Simon Roux ◽  
David Taylor ◽  
Paul D. Morrison

Background: The development of long-acting injectable formulations (LAIs) of second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs) has been suggested as having advantage over first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) LAIs. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that there was a longer time to relapse in patients with schizophrenia started on SGA LAI versus FGA LAI. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who were started on an SGA LAI while on an inpatient ward were identified through searching of the anonymised historical medical records at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Patients starting FGA LAIs matched for diagnosis, age and date of hospital admission were identified. Time to readmission, discontinuation of LAI or death were identified. Kaplan–Meier plots were generated for each group, and the difference between groups analysed using log-rank methods. Results: There were 157 patients identified in each group. There was no difference in time to readmission, medication discontinuation or death in patients on SGA LAI versus FGA LAI. Conclusions: We found no evidence of advantage in terms of maintaining response in SGA LAI versus FGA LAI. Prescriber choice should be guided by other factors such as side-effect profile, patient acceptability and price.



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