A long-acting subcutaneous antipsychotic (LASCA) suspension that combines risperidone with a novel copolymer substantially reduces both risk for relapse and time to impending relapse for patients with schizophrenia, new research suggests.
In the phase 3 Risperidone Subcutaneous Extended-release (RISE) trial, which included more than 500 patients with schizophrenia, those who received the novel combination treatment, known as TV-46000, had for relapse reduced by 80% with monthly administration and by 63.5% with the bimonthly dose.
"Long-acting injectable medications are grossly underutilized," study investigator John M. Kane, MD, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York, told Medscape Medical News.
The attributes of TV-46000, which include its subcutaneous delivery rather than intramuscular injections, its being active within 24 hours of first treatment, and its being administered monthly or bimonthly, "might be advantageous for some patients," Kane noted.
Because it is also effective in reducing risk for relapse, TV-46000 is "another alternative when people are looking at the possibility of using a long-acting injectable formulation," he added.
The findings were presented at the Congress of the Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) 2022.
Time to Relapse
To examine the efficacy and safety of monthly and bimonthly doses of the drug, the researchers recruited patients aged 13 to 65 years who were diagnosed with schizophrenia more than a year previously and who had experienced at least one relapse in the previous 24 months.
