Evaluation of Effectiveness and Safety of Paliperidone Extended Release in Patients With Schizoaffective Disorder.

Evaluation of Effectiveness and Safety of Paliperidone Extended Release in Patients With Schizoaffective Disorder.

A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Two Dosages of Paliperidone ER in the Treatment of Patients With Schizoaffective Disorder.

The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness and assess the safety of two dosages of the antipsychotic paliperidone extended-release (ER) in patients who are experiencing an acute episode of schizoaffective disorder.

Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are closely related in terms of symptoms, coexisting conditions, and genetic risk. In previous studies in patients with schizophrenia, treatment with paliperidone extended-release (ER) improved psychotic symptoms, as well as mood symptoms evaluated by anxiety/depression and hostility/excitement Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia (PANSS) factor scores. Therefore, paliperidone ER may also be effective in treating symptoms of schizoaffective disorder. Paliperidone's limited potential for drug-drug interaction is particularly important in this patient population, in which multiple drug therapy is relatively common. This multicenter, double-blind (neither the patient nor the physician knows whether drug or placebo is being taken, or at what dosage), randomized (patients are assigned different treatments based on chance), placebo-controlled, parallel-group study is designed to examine the effectiveness and safety of paliperidone ER in adult patients with schizoaffective disorder who are experiencing an acute episode of this disorder. Patients in the study will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups to receive 6 weeks of oral treatment with 1 of 2 dosages of paliperidone ER or placebo. The primary efficacy outcome will be the change from baseline to Week 6, or the last post-randomization assessment during double-blind treatment (endpoint), in the PANSS total score. Safety will be assessed by monitoring adverse events, clinical laboratory testing, pregnancy testing, vital signs measurements, physical examination, administration of a 12-lead ECG, movement disorders side effect scales, and the InterSePT Scale for Suicidal Thinking. Patients may also choose to participate in a pharmacogenomic (DNA) analysis. The primary study hypotheses are that at least one of the two dosages of paliperidone ER is better than placebo on the change from baseline in the PANSS total score in acutely ill patients with schizoaffective disorder at the end of 6 weeks of treatment. Patients will receive study drug by mouth for a total of 43 days. Beginning on Day 1, patients will take either placebo or 1 of 2 doses of paliperidone: 6 mg/day (low randomized dosage) or 12 mg/day (high randomized dosage). During the first 2 weeks, dosages may be adjusted.

The PANSS is a 30-item scale (range 30-210) 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. Higher scores indicate worsening.

The Change From Baseline to Week 6 or the Last Post-randomization Assessment During Double-blind Treatment in the Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia (PANSS) Total Score.

The PANSS is a 30-item scale (range 30-210) 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. Higher scores indicate worsening.

Response is defined as a 30% or more reduction from baseline in PANSS total score and a CGI-C score of <= 2. (CGI-C-SCA: Clinical Global Impression of Change for Schizoaffective Disorder). The PANSS is a 30-item scale (range 30-210) designed to assess various symptoms of schizophrenia including delusions, grandiosity, blunted affect, poor attention, and poor impulse control. The CGI-S rating scale is a 7 point global assessment that measures the clinician's impression of the severity of illness exhibited by a subject.

Positive Syndrome Scale (range 7-49): Sum of scores for items 1-7 in positive subscale: delusions, conceptual disorganization, hallucinatory behavior, excitement, grandiosity, suspiciousness/persecution, and hostility. Higher scores indicate worsening.

Negative Syndrome Scale (range 7-49): Sum of scores for items 1-7 in negative subscale: blunted effect, emotional withdrawal, poor rapport, passive apathetic social withdrawal, difficulty in abstract thinking, lack of spontaneity and flow of conversation, and stereotyped thinking. Higher scores indicate worsening.

Change in Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia (PANSS) General Psychopathology Subscale Score

General Psychopathology (range 16-112): Sum of scores for somatic concern, anxiety, guilt feelings, tension, mannerisms/posturing, depression, motor retardation, uncooperativeness, unusual thought content, disoriented, poor attention, lack of judgment/insight, disturbance of volition, poor impulse control, preoccupation, and active social avoidance. Higher scores indicate worsening.

Positive PANSS Factor Score (range 8-56): Sum of scores for items 1, 3, 5, and 6 in positive subscale: delusions, hallucinatory behavior, grandiosity, suspiciousness; item 7 in negative subscale: stereotyped thinking; and items 1, 9, and 12 in general psychopathology subscale: somatic concern, unusual thought content, lack of judgment, and insight. Higher scores indicate worsening.

Negative PANSS Factor Score (range 7-49): Sum of scores for items 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 in negative subscale: blunted affect, emotional withdrawal, poor rapport, passive social withdrawal, lack of spontaneity; and items 7 and 16 in general psychopathology subscale: motor retardation, and active social avoidance. Higher scores indicate worsening.

Disorganized Thoughts PANSS Factor Score (range 7-49): Sum of scores for item 2 in positive subscale:Conceptual disorganization; item 5 in negative subscale:difficulty in abstract thinking; and items 5, 10, 11, 13, and 15 in general psychopathology subscale: mannerisms/posturing, disorientation, poor attention, disturbance of volition, and preoccupation. Higher scores indicate worsening.

Change in Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia (PANSS) Uncontrolled Hostility/Excitement Factor Score

Uncontrolled Hostility/Excitement PANSS Factor Score (range 4-28): Sum of scores for items 4 and 7 in positive subscale: excitement, hostility; and items 8 and 14 in general psychopathology subscale: uncooperativeness, and poor impulse control. Higher scores indicate worsening.

Anxiety/Depression PANSS Factor Score (range 4-28): Sum of scores for items 2, 3, 4, and 6 in general psychopathology subscale: Anxiety, Guilt feelings, Tension, Depression. Higher scores indicate worsening.

The CGI-S rating scale is a 7 point global assessment that measures the clinician's impression of the severity of illness exhibited by a subject. A rating of 1 is equivalent to "Normal, not at all ill" and a rating of 7 is equivalent to "Among the most extremely ill subjects".

The CGI-S rating scale is a 7 point global assessment that measures the clinician's impression of the severity of illness exhibited by a subject. A rating of 1 is equivalent to "Normal, not at all ill" and a rating of 7 is equivalent to "Among the most extremely ill subjects".

The CGI-C rating scale is a 7 point global assessment that measures the clinician's impression of the change occurring in the illness over a course of treatment, relative to baseline. A rating of 4 is equivalent to "No change". Ratings of <4 are equivalent to "improvement" and ratings of > 4 are equivalent to "worsening".

Clinician-rated scale that evaluates depressed mood as well as the vegetative and cognitive symptoms of depression. The items are rated on either a 5-point (0 to 4) or a 3-point (0 to 2) scale. The 5-point scale uses a rating of 0 (absent), 1 (doubtful to mild), 2 (mild to moderate), 3 (moderate to severe), and 4 (very severe). Higher scores indicate worsening. The responses are summed to yield the HAM-D-21 score that ranges from 0-63.

Clinician-rated scale that evaluates depressed mood as well as the vegetative and cognitive symptoms of depression. The items are rated on either a 5-point (0 to 4) or a 3-point (0 to 2) scale. The 5-point scale uses a rating of 0 (absent), 1 (doubtful to mild), 2 (mild to moderate), 3 (moderate to severe), and 4 (very severe). Higher scores indicate worsening. The responses are summed to yield the HAM-D-21 score that ranges from 0-63.

11-item scale (elevated mood, increased motor activity, sexual interest, sleep, irritability, speech [rate/amount], language-thought disorder, content, disruptive-aggressive behaviors, appearance, and insight) based on subject's report of his or her condition and clinician's behavioral observations during the interview, with emphasis on the latter. Higher scores indicate worsening. The responses are summed to yield the YMRS total score, which ranges from 0 to 60.

11-item scale (elevated mood, increased motor activity, sexual interest, sleep, irritability, speech [rate/amount], language-thought disorder, content, disruptive-aggressive behaviors, appearance, and insight) based on subject's report of his or her condition and clinician's behavioral observations during the interview, with emphasis on the latter. Higher scores indicate worsening. The responses are summed to yield the YMRS total score, which ranges from 0 to 60.

Inclusion Criteria: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder A total Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia (PANSS) score of >= 60 A score of >= 16 on Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) or a score of >= 16 on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D 21) Exclusion Criteria: A primary active mental illness diagnosis other than schizoaffective disorder Patients with first episode psychosis Active substance dependence within previous 6 months Treatment with clozapine within 6 months of randomization A history of treatment resistance, defined by failure to respond to 2 adequate trials of antipsychotic medication Pregnancy, breast-feeding, or planning to become pregnant

Alphs L, Fu DJ, Turkoz I. Paliperidone for the treatment of schizoaffective disorder. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2016;17(6):871-83. doi: 10.1517/14656566.2016.1161029. Epub 2016 Mar 24.

Canuso CM, Lindenmayer JP, Kosik-Gonzalez C, Turkoz I, Carothers J, Bossie CA, Schooler NR. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 2 dose ranges of paliperidone extended-release in the treatment of subjects with schizoaffective disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010 May;71(5):587-98. doi: 10.4088/JCP.09m05564yel.

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A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two dosages of paliperidone ER in the treatment of patients with schizoaffective disorder