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Benzodiazepine use during cariprazine treatment in acute schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

C. Correll*
Affiliation:
The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Department Of Psychiatry, Glen Oaks, United States of America
B. Sebe
Affiliation:
Gedeon Richter Plc, Medical Division, Budapest, Hungary
R. Csehi
Affiliation:
Gedeon Richter Plc, Medical Division, Budapest, Hungary
K. Acsai
Affiliation:
Gedeon Richter Plc, Medical Division, Budapest, Hungary
Á. Barabássy
Affiliation:
Gedeon Richter Plc, Medical Division, Budapest, Hungary
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Although antipsychotics are first-line treatments for schizophrenia, benzodiazepines (BZDs) are often used as concomitant medications in acutely exacerbated patients due to their anxiolytic and sedative effects. Cariprazine (CAR), a D3-preferring dopamine D2/D3 partial agonist antipsychotic, has been examined in many clinical studies for the treatment of acute schizophrenia, with and without benzodiazepines.

Objectives

To delineate the effects of benzodiazepine-use during cariprazine treatment in acute schizophrenia.

Methods

Pooled data of cariprazine-treated (1.5-6mg/day) and placebo-treated patients from four short-term, randomised, double-blind trials (NCT00404573, NCT01104766, NCT01104779, NCT00694707) were analysed. Baseline characteristics (age, duration of illness) and efficacy outcome parameters (Total and Hostility Factor Score of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS]) were compared in patients receiving benzodiazepines (for more ≥3 consecutive days) and not receiving benzodiazepines (<3 consecutive days).

Results

Altogether, 36.7% and 40.7% of the CAR-treated and PBO-treated patients required BZDs. BZD-taking was associated with a higher age in both the CAR-treated (p=0.0002) and PBO-treated (p<0.0001) patients, and with longer illness-duration in both treatment groups (p<0.0001). PANSS Total Score at baseline was similar for BZD users and non-users (CAR: LS Mean=96.36 and 96.27; PBO: LS Mean=95.55 and 96.66). Change from baseline in the PANSS Total Score was greater for patients who did not use BZD vs those who did (CAR: LS Mean= -23.8 vs LS Mean 17.2, p<0.0001; PBO: LS Mean= -14.0 vs LS Mean 12.9, p=0.5776).

Conclusions

These findings may suggest that requiring benzodiazepines is a potential indicator of longer illness duration and poorer response in acute schizophrenia.

Disclosure

I am an employee of Gedeon Richter Plc.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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