The Efficacy and Safety of Lower Doses of Aripiprazole for the Treatment of Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Schizophrenia

Abstract

ABSTRACTIntroductionEfficacy and safety of aripiprazole administered at doses lower than those previously studied systematically were investigated in patients with acute exacerbation of schizophrenia.MethodsIn this double-blind, multicenter study, 367 patients requiring inpatient hospitalization for acute relapse of schizophrenia were randomized to one of three fixed doses of aripiprazole (2, 5, or 10 mg/day) or placebo for 6 weeks. Efficacy and safety parameters were assessed weekly. Primary outcome measure was mean change from baseline in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)Total score at endpoint.ResultsAripiprazole 10 mg/day produced statistically significantly greater improvements from baseline compared with placebo for PANSS Total at endpoint (−11.3 vs −5.3; P=.03) and at weeks 2–5. Aripiprazole 5 mg/day did not produce significantly greater improvement in PANSS Total compared with placebo at endpoint, although significant differences were seen at weeks 3–5. No statistically significant improvements compared with placebo were achieved with aripiprazole 2 mg/day at any time points. All aripiprazole doses were well tolerated. Aripiprazole was not associated with significant extrapyramidal symptoms.ConclusionWhile aripiprazole 5 mg/day warrants further study, the 10 mg/day dose provides effective and well-tolerated therapy for management of acute psychosis in patients with schizophrenia.