Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka announces schizophrenia trial results

Bristol-Myers Squibb and its partner Otsuka Pharmaceuticals have announced the results of a six-week study of schizophrenia patients aged 13-17 years, with the administration of antipsychotic aripiprazole resulting in an improvement on the primary endpoint when compared to placebo.

The primary efficacy endpoint in this trial was the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (Panns) score, with results from the study presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.

Over 300 patients were involved in the trial that saw adolescents undertake a period of at least three days without antipsychotic treatment before administration with aripiprazole or placebo.

The mean change from the baseline Panns figure in patients receiving aripiprazole was 26.7 and 28.6 in those administered with 10 mg and 30 mg of the compound respectively, while those taking a placebo saw a reduction of 21.2 points.

Robert Findling, director of child and adolescent psychiatry, University Hospitals Case Medical Centre, commented that the available data to clinicians regarding the treatment of adolescent schizophrenia patients is currently inadequate.

“The findings from this study contribute important new information about schizophrenia in adolescents,” he said.

In December 2006, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals announced the signing of an agreement for the development and commercialisation of type two diabetes treatment saxagliptin.