Cumulative Clinical Experience of the Use of Paliperidone Palmitate 3-Monthly Long-Acting Injection in the Treatment of Schizophrenia: A Critical Appraisal

Paliperidone palmitate 3-monthly (PP3M), an approved maintenance treatment for patients with schizophrenia, was the first long-acting antipsychotic injectable (LAI) to require only four administrations per year. Here, we aimed to review the available evidence about its use in the management of schizophrenia to date and highlight key study findings in order to provide a balanced overview of current experience in clinical practice. For that purpose, an extensive search of available literature from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted in March 2023. Emerging data from real-world studies appear to signal that the benefits of the use of PP3M may well extent beyond the obvious convenience for patients and resource efficiency for services and may be actually associated with improved effectiveness and patient satisfaction. Large naturalistic studies from Australia, Europe and the US comparing treatment continuation between newer LAIs and/or oral antipsychotics showed that patients treated with PP3M had higher compliance rates and a longer period of continuous use. The risk of relapse, re-hospitalization and number of bed days was also lower with PP3M compared to PP1M and other LAIs as demonstrated by several cohort studies. Furthermore, patients treated with PP3M were using lower doses of benzodiazepines and concomitant oral antipsychotics compared with other LAIs. What is more, PP3M appears to positively impact patients’ satisfaction and quality of life, facilitating long-term goals. In fact, recent studies recorded better quality-adjusted life years and decreased stigma, with improved social acceptability and promotion of rehabilitation for patients transitioning to PP3M. The rates of general satisfaction rates with PP3M were also higher among psychiatrists and caregivers who reported overall less concerns. In conclusion, clinical exposure and a growing body of evidence thus far, reinforce the use of PP3M in an effort to enhance patient outcomes alongside individual experience and treatment persistence.