Abstract
Long-acting injectable antipsyhcotics (LAI) play important role in the maintenance treatment of schizophrenia. LAI proved to be effective in relapse prevention, improve adherence to medication.
Four second-generation antipsychotics are currently available as LAI: risperidone, olanzapine, paliperidone, and aripiprazole. LAI are typically administered intramusculary every 2-4 weeks; recently, 3-month formulation of paliperidone palmitate (PP-3M) has become available.
Pharmacodynamics of PP-3M is identical to that of other paliperidone formulas, pharmacokinetics corresponds to the 3.5x higher dosage of PP-1M. PP-3M demonstrated its clinical efficacy in maintenance treatment of schizophrenia: was superior to placebo in relapse prevention, another study showed non-inferiority of PP-3M to PP-1M.
PP-3M is well tolerated, the profile of side effects is similar to that of PP-1M. It is indicated for patients clinically stabilized with PP-1M.
PP-3M is the first long-acting antipsychotics administered once in three months. The longer treatment interval can be comfortable for the patients, may reduce caregivers burden and provide physicians with a room to focus on other patients' issues than adherence or frequently administered medication.