ARIPIPRAZOLE

Psychosocial Functioning in Patients with Schizophrenia Treated with Aripiprazole – an Office-based Real-world Setting. Results from the German Post-marketing Surveillance Study
Pharmacopsychiatry, 0Bergmann F et al. - The results indicate that aripiprazole may be an efficacious and safe treatment option for pre-treated patients with schizophrenia also in a naturalistic psychiatrist/neurologist practice setting with effects on health and psychosocial functioning and a comparably low dropout rate.

Methods

• Efficacy was rated by using standard CGI, SF-12® and SIWM-PsySo® instruments for severity of disease, physical and mental health outcomes and psychosocial state, respectively.
• Safety was evaluated according to the reports of adverse events.
• Mean total daily dose of aripiprazole increased from 15.4 mg at the visit after 1 month to 17.6 mg at the visits after 6 to 12 months, the most frequently administered maintenance dose being 15 mg.

Results

• Within the observation period significant improvements of CGI, SF-12® and SIWM-PsySo® scores over time versus baseline values were observed (p<0.001) when starting with or switching to aripiprazole.
• Physicians observed improvements in 80.7% of the patients at endpoint; in 62% of the patients the disease state was considered “much” or “very much” improved.
• Aripiprazole was overall well tolerated; 19.9% of patients discontinued treatment after 12 months.
• Adverse effects in general were moderate to mild and corresponded to the known tolerability profile of aripiprazole.
• Psychotic side effects reported were probably due to a recurrence of the underlying schizophrenic disorde