Long-acting antipsychotics reduce mortality risk in schizophrenic patients, notes study

Real world evidence from a study involving almost 30,000 people, supporting the benefits of long-acting antipsychotics (LATs) in reducing the risk of mortality among schizophrenic patients, has been announced by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

The findings of the study have been published in Schizophrenia Research and show that patients taking LATs are at a 33% lower risk of mortality than those taking corresponding oral antipsychotics. Additionally, the results demonstrated that the lowest mortality rate was observed in patients taking once-monthly paliperidone LAT, oral aripiprazole and risperidone LAT. Mortality risk among schizophrenic patients taking antipsychotic treatment was found to be 56% lower than those on no antipsychotic treatment.

“This study has important implications, as we can now understand the role of long-acting and oral antipsychotics in reducing risk of mortality for people living with schizophrenia in a real-life setting,” explained lead author Professor Jari Tiihonen, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. “People with schizophrenia can lose decades of their life, and this evidence demonstrates that wider use of antipsychotic treatment, particularly second generation LATs, can help protect the lives of patients.”

In addition to comparing the effectiveness of various antipsychotic treatments on mortality, psychiatric re-hospitalisation and treatment failure outcomes were evaluated. The re-hospitalisation data was published in JAMA Psychiatry and demonstrated that LATs and oral clozapine are substantially more effective than other antipsychotics in reducing the risk of re-hospitalisation compared to no antipsychotic.

“Reducing the risk of relapse and therefore re-hospitalisation among people living with schizophrenia is a key treatment goal,” said Mikael Själin, therapeutic area head CNS, Janssen-Cilag AB. “This evidence demonstrates that antipsychotics, and particularly LATs can help to keep patients out of hospital, ultimately giving people living with schizophrenia greater independence and an opportunity to focus on their future.”