To explore tolerability, safety and treatment response of flexibly dosed paliperidone palmitate (PP) in adult non-acute schizophrenia patients previously unsuccessfully treated with oral antipsychotic monotherapy of risperidone (RIS), paliperidone ER (Pali ER), olanzapine (OLA), quetiapine (QUE) or aripiprazole (ARI).

International, prospective 6-month open-label study. Outcomes were response (≥20% improvement in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score at endpoint), patient functioning (Personal and Social Performance scale (PSP)), treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale (ESRS).

Intent-to-treat population: n=191 (RIS), n=104 (Pali ER), n=87 (OLA), n=46 (ARI), n=44 (QUE). Patients presented some differences in baseline demographics, e.g. in age, years since diagnosis and BMI. Baseline mean PANSS total scores ranged from 74.7±14.9 (ARI) to 70.8±13.1 (QUE) and 70.8±15.1 (RIS). Between 67.4% (ARI) and 83.2% (RIS) of patients completed the study. At endpoint, 74% (RIS), 58% (Pali ER), 61% (OLA), 66% (QUE) and 52% (ARI) of patients had improved ≥20% in PANSS total score. Mean PSP improvement at endpoint was: 10.4±13.8 (RIS), 7.0±13.8 (Pali ER), 4.5±15.9 (OLA), 7.9±12.4 (QUE) and 3.9±13.2 (ARI); all p<0.05. TEAEs reported at least once in all subgroups were injection site pain, insomnia and psychotic disorder. Mean change in ESRS from baseline to endpoint was -1.2±3.5 (RIS), - 0.7±4.1 (Pali ER), -1.3±4.4 (OLA), -0.3±3.2 (QUE) and -0.6±3.4 (ARI; p<0.05 for all except QUE).

PP was well tolerated and associated with clinically relevant treatment response in patients previously unsuccessfully treated with oral atypical antipsychotic monotherapy, regardless of the medication that was switched.