Related Jobs
-
Senior Project Manager
Job Type: Permanent
Salary: Excellent salary
Location: England - Field Based -
CRA /Warsaw
Job Type: Permanent
Salary: Salary on application
Location: Poland - Warsaw
Anti-psychotic drug 'improves schizophrenia symptoms'
03 Apr 2009
Clinical Research
Ortho-McNeil-Janssen's paliperidone shows significant improvement in symptoms for patients suffering from schizoaffectic disorder, the latest clinical trials have revealed.
The Johnson and Johnson-owned company's study involved 311 patients who took the drug or a placebo for six weeks.
Sufferers who were given paliperidone showed significant improvement in mean clinical global impressions of severity for schizoaffective disorder scores compared to the control group.
Manic and depressive symptoms were also reduced by the drug, although side-effects included headaces, dizziness, insomnia, akathasia and dyspepsia.
Paliperidone was first approved in the US in December 2006 for the acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia in the country and has European Union authorisation as a medication for the condition.
Approval of the drug as a monotherapy used in combination with antidepressants and mood stabilisers for the treatment schizoaffective disorder is currently being sought in the US.
In related news, the US food and drug administration is to discuss AstraZeneca's application for authorisation of its schizophrenia drug as a paediatric treatment in June.
