Treatment with aripiprazole once-monthly injectable formulation is effective in improving symptoms and global functioning in schizophrenia with and without comorbid substance use – a post hoc analysis of the ReLiAM study

BACKGROUND: ReLiAM, Real-Life Assessment of Abilify Maintena, was the first reported long-term prospective non-interventional study for patients with schizophrenia treated with aripiprazole once-monthly injectable formulation (AOM) under real-life conditions. ReLiAM’s primary aim was to evaluate the evolution of global functional status in patients treated with AOM for 12 months in Canada. METHODS: The objective of this post hoc analysis of the ReLiAM study is to investigate the treatment effects of real-life use of AOM over a 1-year period in the subgroup of patients with reported substance use compared with patients without substance use. RESULTS: The results of this post hoc analysis demonstrate that treatment with AOM for 12 months in patients with schizophrenia was comparably effective in improving global functioning in subgroups of patients with and without concomitant substance use. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the use of AOM for the treatment of schizophrenia in patients with or without concomitant substance use. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02131415, first posted on May 6, 2014. Overall trial status: Terminated. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12888-022-04397-x.