Janssen Cilag drug ‘delays recurrence of schizophrenia’

A new drug from Janssen-Cilag, the Johnson and Johnson pharmaceutical company, has been shown to “significantly” delay the recurrence of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, according new results.

Paliperidone extended release (ER) tablets were used in a phase III trial, the results of which were published at the Biennial Congress of the Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum. The trial was cancelled early because the drug demonstrated it could provide a statistically significant delay in the recurrence of schizophrenia symptoms, while offering “robust efficacy”.

The study revealed that the number of recurrent events in patients treated with paliperidone ER was 22 per cent, compared with 52 per cent for the placebo – a lessening of more than half.

Dr George Simpson, professor of research and director of the outpatient clinical at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, remarked: “The low incidence of recurrence, measured up to 11 months, with the low rate of adverse events leading to discontinuation in the paliperidone ER group relative to placebo, suggest that symptom control can be maintained when treatment is continued.”

He added: “These findings appear to extend and complement the results from previously presented trials of paliperidone ER in the acute treatment of schizophrenia, and strongly suggest that the significant efficacy initially achieved during the first six weeks of treatment can be maintained over the longer term.”

In May, Janssen-Cilag submitted a marketing authorisation application to the European Commission, backed by results from the clinical development programme involving more than 1,600 patients.

Schizophrenia is estimated to affect one person in every hundred. On Tuesday, a campaign to increase awareness about schizophrenia was launched at the House of Commons, entitled The Picture’s Looking Brighter. Part of the campaign includes a comprehensive booklet to provide more education about the disorder.

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