Paliperidone palmitate once‐every‐3‐months in adults with early illness schizophrenia

AIM: This post hoc analysis of a double‐blind (DB), randomized, placebo‐controlled, relapse‐prevention study evaluated the effects of paliperidone palmitate once‐every‐3‐months (PP3M) in a subpopulation of adults with early illness schizophrenia (duration ≤5 years) from a clinical trial. METHODS: Patients received either PP3M or placebo every 3 months in the DB phase. The primary efficacy variable was time from randomization to first relapse. Symptom severity, patient functioning, and safety were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 119 patients who entered the DB phase met the criteria for early illness schizophrenia (PP3M, n = 62; placebo, n = 57). PP3M significantly delayed time to relapse vs placebo (P = .035; hazard ratio, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.08‐8.80). Symptomatic control and patient functioning were maintained in the PP3M group but significantly worsened in the placebo group. There were no unexpected tolerability findings. CONCLUSIONS: PP3M reduced relapse risk and maintained symptomatic and functional improvements compared with placebo in patients with early illness schizophrenia.