Impact of 3-Monthly Long-Acting Injectable Paliperidone Palmitate in Schizophrenia: A Retrospective, Real-World Analysis of Population-Based Health Records in Spain.

Abstract

Treatment of schizophrenia requires long-term medication to prevent relapse. Treatment nonadherence may increase the risk of relapse, leading to increased hospitalizations and emergency room (ER) visits. Long-acting injectables (LAIs) such as paliperidone palmitate have improved treatment adherence and therefore symptoms. However, real-world studies comparing 3-monthly LAI formulations with other LAIs and oral antipsychotics (OAs) are scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate and evaluate the clinical effectiveness of paliperidone palmitate LAI monthly (PP1M; Xeplion®) and 3-monthly (PP3M; Trevicta®) formulations compared with the monthly LAI aripiprazole (AM; Abilify Maintena®) and OAs in Spain. This was a retrospective, observational study including 2275 adult patients with schizophrenia in a Spanish population. Data from hospital, primary care, and pharmacy dispensation electronic medical records were obtained between January 2017 and February 2018. The main outcomes included psychiatric hospitalizations and ER visit rates, days on treatment, and treatment persistence. Patients receiving PP3M had a significantly lower mean hospitalization rate (0.00046 ± standard deviation [SD] 0.00181; p PP3M was more effective than OAs and monthly LAIs in improving clinical outcomes for patients with schizophrenia in a real-world setting in Spain.