Bristol-Myers Squibb announces efficacy of Abilify

Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced the results of a trial of its atypical antipsychotic pharmaceutical Abilify (aripiprazole), which demonstrated efficacy as a long-term maintenance therapy for patients with bipolar I disorder.

Administration with the compound, co-developed with Otsuka Pharmaceutical, resulted in delayed relapse times in adults with bipolar I disorder who had recently experienced a mixed or manic episode.

Abilify is a dopamine partial agonist indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia, including the maintenance of stability, in addition to the treatment of acute manic and mixed episodes related to bipolar I disorder.

Roger S McIntyre, head of the mood disorders psychopharmacology unit at the University Health Network, said: “Bipolar I disorder is a lifelong episodic illness. These findings are important because they support existing Abilify data for delaying the recurrence of mood symptoms.”

He added that the study showed that nearly half of patients with the disease who responded to treatment initially eventually relapse within two years, highlighting the need for long-term maintenance therapy for the condition.

In May, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry also revealed that Abilify “significantly” delayed the time to manic relapse in patients with bipolar I disorder.