Aripiprazole (ABILIFY MAINTENA®): A Review of Its Use as Maintenance Treatment for Adult Patients with Schizophrenia

• Published in: Drugs (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 74; no. 10; pp. 1097 - 1110
• Main Authors: Shirley, Matt, Perry, Caroline M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.07.2014; Adis International; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adis Drug Evaluation; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Adults; Antipsychotic Agents - administration & dosage; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Antipsychotics; Aripiprazole; Biological and medical sciences; Dopamine; Humans; Internal Medicine; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental disorders; Metabolism; Pharmacodynamics; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Pharmacotherapy; Piperazines - administration & dosage; Piperazines - therapeutic use; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Psychosis; Psychotropic drugs; Quinolones - administration & dosage; Quinolones - therapeutic use; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - drug therapy; Serotonin; Schizophrenia; Tardive Dyskinesia; Aripiprazole; Paliperidone; Antipsychotic Drug; Human; 5-HT2A serotonin receptor; Partial agonist; Atypical antipsychotic; Neuroleptic; Psychotropic; Quinolinone derivatives; Review; Psychosis; D2 Dopamine receptor; 5-HT1A Serotonine receptor; Maintenance treatment; Adult; Antagonist; Bibliographic review
• ISSN: 0012-6667; 1179-1950
• DOI: 10.1007/s40265-014-0231-7

Aripiprazole (ABILIFY ® ) is an atypical antipsychotic drug that is proposed to act via partial agonism of dopamine D 2 receptors. Trials with oral aripiprazole have shown that, compared with some other atypical antipsychotics, aripiprazole is associated with fewer metabolic disturbances and has a favourable cardiovascular tolerability profile. Recently, an intramuscular long-acting injectable (LAI) depot formulation of aripiprazole (ABILIFY MAINTENA ® ) (aripiprazole LAI) has been approved for use as a treatment for schizophrenia in adults. The efficacy of aripiprazole LAI as a maintenance treatment for schizophrenia has been demonstrated in randomized clinical trials. In the trials, aripiprazole LAI was more effective than placebo, and noninferior to oral aripiprazole, in delaying relapse and in reducing relapse rates in schizophrenia. Aripiprazole LAI was generally well tolerated, with a tolerability profile consistent with that of oral aripiprazole. Thus, aripiprazole LAI is a valuable new treatment option for adult patients with schizophrenia. It may be of particular use for patients stable on oral aripiprazole who would prefer, or are likely to benefit from, a long-acting formulation.