Long-term efficacy and safety of blonanserin in patients with first-episode schizophrenia: a 1-year open-label trial.

Abstract

AIMS:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of blonanserin, a second-generation antipsychotic drug developed in Japan, in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

METHODS:

Twenty-three antipsychotic-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia were treated within an open-label, 1-year, prospective trial of blonanserin (2-24 mg/day). Clinical evaluations were conducted at baseline and 2, 6, and 12 months after the start of treatment. The main outcome measures were changes in subjective well-being and subjective quality of life, as assessed by the Subjective Well-being under Neuroleptic treatment scale Short form-Japanese version and the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale-Japanese version, respectively. Secondary outcome measures included the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia-Japanese version, laboratory tests, bodyweight, and extrapyramidal symptoms.

RESULTS:

Fourteen patients (60.9%) remained on the study at 1 year. In the intention-to-treat analysis, significant improvements were observed in several subscales on the Subjective Well-being under Neuroleptic treatment scale Short form-Japanese version, the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale-Japanese version, and the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia-Japanese version, and in all factor scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Improvement in depressive symptoms with blonanserin treatment was positively correlated with improvements in subjective well-being and subjective quality of life, as well as verbal memory. No significant changes were noted for any safety measure during the 1-year study period.

CONCLUSIONS:

Blonanserin was well tolerated and effective for the treatment of first-episode schizophrenia in terms of subjective wellness, cognition, and a wide range of pathological symptoms. Further large-scale studies are warranted to confirm our findings.

• Authors: Yuriko Ninomiya, Seiya Miyamoto, Tomomi Tenjin, Shin Ogino, Nobumi Miyake, Yasuhiro Kaneda, Tomiki Sumiyoshi, Noboru Yamaguchi
• Journal: Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences (Psychiatry Clin Neurosci) Vol. 68 Issue 12 Pg. 841-849 (Dec 2014) ISSN: 1440-1819 [Electronic] Australia
• PMID: 24835911 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Retracted Publication)
• Copyright: © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Chemical References

• Antipsychotic Agents
• Piperazines
• Piperidines
• blonanserin

Topics

• Adult
• Antipsychotic Agents (administration & dosage, adverse effects, pharmacology)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Male
• Piperazines (administration & dosage, adverse effects, pharmacology)
• Piperidines (administration & dosage, adverse effects, pharmacology)
• Quality of Life
• Schizophrenia (drug therapy)
• Time Factors
• Treatment Outcome