[Clozapine (Leponex) in France]

Leponex (clozapine) is an atypical neuroleptic indicated in severe schizophrenia, launched in France in December 1991. The safety and efficacy data pertaining to 1,062 patients treated on a compassionate needs basis between May 1989 and December 1991 constitute the first French experience on the drug. The results of an interim analysis pertaining to 602 patients, i.e. available data on 03-15-1992, generally collected on a retrospective basis, by means of a specific questionnaire are reviewed. The population included patients with severe and long-standing schizophrenia i.e. 15.71 +/- 9.3 years, resistant to usual neuroleptic therapy (90.86% of cases), and rarely with a history of intolerance to this class (2.49%). The indication was in the majority of the cases a paranoid schizophrenia (67.2%). The mean maintenance daily dose was 419 mg/d (+/- 152). Overall, with respect to associated drugs, neuroleptics were recorded in 16.4%, another psychotropic drug in 44.7% and symptomatic treatments for extrapyramidal disorders in 21.3% of patients. Of interest is the fact that, for those patients started on Leponex more recently, the drug is more often prescribed on a single basis. Leponex was stopped in 24.3% for the following reasons: adverse events 10.6%, lack of efficacy 6%, non compliance 3.8%, other reasons 3.8%. The adverse event profile is consistent with the literature data, taking into account the fact that certain adverse events were more commonly described: fatigue of lower limbs 11.8%, leucocytosis 19.8% and eosinophilia 4.3%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)