Safety, Efficacy and Tolerability Study of Paliperidone Extended-Release (ER) in Participants With Schizophrenia

Safety, Efficacy and Tolerability Study of Paliperidone Extended-Release (ER) in Participants With Schizophrenia

An Open-label Prospective Trial to Explore the Tolerability, Safety and Efficacy of Flexibly Dosed Paliperidone ER in Subjects With Schizophrenia

The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy of flexibly dosed paliperidone extended-release (ER) in participants with schizophrenia (psychiatric disorder with symptoms of emotional instability, detachment from reality, often with delusions and hallucinations, and withdrawal into the self) who were previously unsuccessfully treated with other oral antipsychotics.

This is a single arm (one group of participants), multi-center, 6-month study to explore the tolerability, safety and efficacy of flexibly dosed paliperidone ER in participants with schizophrenia previously unsuccessfully treated with an oral antipsychotic medication. Antipsychotic medications are drugs that are helpful in the treatment of psychosis and have a capacity to ameliorate thought disorders. Unsuccessfully treated means that, despite the participant was treated with an adequate dose of an appropriate oral antipsychotic for an adequate period of time, previous treatment is considered unsuccessful due to lack of efficacy, lack of tolerability or safety, lack of compliance and/or other reasons. Throughout the study the investigators will adjust the dosage of each participant based on the individual needs. In general, the recommended paliperidone ER dose will be 6 milligram once daily. Participants can be either in- or outpatients and they may take their study drug with or without food. Participants who will complete this 6-month study and would like to continue will be eligible to be enrolled in an extension phase until paliperidone ER is available.

Paliperidone extended-release (ER) tablet in dose range of 3 to 12 milligram (mg) per day will be given orally for 6 months as per Investigator's discretion to participants who transitioned to Paliperidone ER from other oral antipsychotics for the main reason of lack of efficacy.

Paliperidone extended-release (ER) tablet in dose range of 3 to 12 milligram (mg) per day will be given orally for 6 months as per Investigator's discretion to participants who transitioned to Paliperidone ER from other oral antipsychotics for the main reason of lack of tolerability, compliance or other reasons.

Paliperidone extended-release (ER) tablet in dose range of 3 to 12 milligram (mg) per day will be given orally for 6 months as per Investigator's discretion.

The PANSS is a 30-item scale designed to assess various symptoms of schizophrenia including delusions, grandiosity, blunted affect, poor attention, and poor impulse control. The 30 symptoms are rated on a 7-point scale that ranges from 1 (absent) to 7 (extreme psychopathology). The PANSS total score consists of the sum of all 30 PANSS items and ranges from 30 to 210. Higher scores indicate worsening. Data for two groups is presented here, based on the reason to switch: lack of efficacy and lack of tolerability, compliance or other who switched from other previous antipsychotic drugs to paliperidone.

Percentage of Participants With Greater Than or Equal to 20 Percent (%) Improvement in PANSS Total Score at Week 26

The PANSS is a 30-item scale designed to assess various symptoms of schizophrenia including delusions, grandiosity, blunted affect, poor attention, and poor impulse control. The 30 symptoms are rated on a 7-point scale that ranges from 1 (absent) to 7 (extreme psychopathology). The PANSS total score consists of the sum of all 30 PANSS items and ranges from 30 to 210. Higher scores indicate worsening. Percentage of participants with greater than or equal to 20 % improvement in PANSS total score is reported here. Data for two groups is presented here, based on the reason to switch: lack of efficacy and lack of tolerability, compliance or other who switched from other previous antipsychotic drugs to paliperidone.

The Positive Subscale of PANSS (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) assesses seven positive-symptoms of schizophrenia. Positive symptoms refer to an excess of or distortion of normal functions. The symptoms are rated on a 7-point scale, ranging from 7 (absent) to 49 (extreme psychopathology). Data for two groups is presented here, based on the reason to switch: lack of efficacy and lack of tolerability, compliance or other who switched from other previous antipsychotic drugs to paliperidone.

The Negative Subscale of PANSS (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) assesses seven negative-symptoms of schizophrenia. Negative symptoms represent a diminution or loss of normal functions. The symptoms are rated on a 7-point scale, ranging from 7 (absent) to 49 (extreme psychopathology). Data for two groups is presented here, based on the reason to switch: lack of efficacy and lack of tolerability, compliance or other who switched from other previous antipsychotic drugs to paliperidone.

The CGI rating scale is a 7-point global assessment that measures the clinician's impression of the severity of illness exhibited by a participant. A rating of 1 indicates to "normal, not at all ill" and a rating of 7 indicates "among the most extremely ill participants". Higher scores indicate worsening. Data for two groups is presented here, based on the reason to switch: lack of efficacy and lack of tolerability, compliance or other who switched from other previous antipsychotic drugs to paliperidone.

The PSP scale assesses the degree of dysfunction within 4 domains of behavior: socially useful activities, personal and social relationships, self-care and disturbing and aggressive behavior. The score ranges from 1 to 100, divided into 10 equal intervals to rate the degree of difficulty (1, absent to 6, very severe) in each of the 4 domains. Participants with a score of 71 to 100 have a mild degree of difficulty; from 31 to 70, varying degrees of disability; less or equal to 30, functioning so poorly as to require intensive supervision. Data for two groups is presented here, based on the reason to switch: lack of efficacy and lack of tolerability, compliance or other who switched from other previous antipsychotic drugs to paliperidone.

Sleep quality was assessed by an 11-point visual analog scale that rates how well participants sleep. Participants indicated on the scale (from 0 to 100 millimeter) how well they have slept in the previous 7 days (from 0: "very badly" to 100: "very well"). Data for two groups is presented here, based on the reason to switch: lack of efficacy and lack of tolerability, compliance or other who switched from other previous antipsychotic drugs to paliperidone.

Daytime Drowsiness was assessed by an 11-point visual analog scale that rates how well participants sleep. Participants indicated on the scale (from 0 to 100 millimeter) how often they have felt drowsy within the previous 7 days (from 0: "not at all" to 100:"all the time"). Data for two groups is presented here, based on the reason to switch: lack of efficacy and lack of tolerability, compliance or other who switched from other previous antipsychotic drugs to paliperidone.

Participants were interviewed at baseline and at the end of the trial (Week 26) to assess their satisfaction with the current treatment on a 5-point scale (very good, good, reasonable, moderate or poor). Data for two groups is presented here, based on the reason to switch: lack of efficacy and lack of tolerability, compliance or other who switched from other previous antipsychotic drugs to paliperidone.

Inclusion Criteria: Participant diagnosed with schizophrenia Participant's previous treatment of schizophrenia is considered unsuccessful Participant is healthy on the basis of a physical examination and vital signs Women must be postmenopausal, surgically sterile, abstinent, or, if sexually active, agree to practice an effective method of birth control before entry and throughout the study Be willing and able to fill out self-administered questionnaires Exclusion Criteria: Have used clozapine or Risperdal CONSTA during the last month, or have received any other conventional drug used to treat psychosis during the last 3 months Judged to be at high risk for adverse events, violence or self-harm Inability to swallow the study medication whole with the aid of water Pregnant or breast-feeding female History or current symptoms of tardive dyskinesia (involuntary movements of the facial muscles and tongue)