Case histories illustrating the utility of sertindole in clinical practice

Many conventional and atypical antipsychotic agents are available for the treatment of schizophrenia. Matching individual patients to the medication that suits them best is often a matter of trial and error. Controlled clinical trials and extensive post-marketing research have shown that the atypical antipsychotic agent sertindole is a broadly efficacious and safe choice for the treatment of schizophrenia. Individual case reports emerging from the ongoing sertindole post-marketing clinical programme illustrate how, under normal conditions of clinical practice, a switch to sertindole can benefit patients who have, for various reasons, previously not been satisfactorily managed on conventional or other atypical antipsychotic agents. Such case reports have shown that a switch to sertindole has the potential to provide greater relief from positive, negative and affective symptoms than has been achieved with conventional and certain other atypical agents. Cognitive dysfunction evident during therapy with conventional antipsychotic agents has also been seen to improve in individuals switched to sertindole. These improvements have occurred without evidence of extrapyramidal symptoms or other poorly tolerated adverse events. After switching to sertindole, the five patients described in this report complied well with therapy, were generally able to perform daily activities more efficiently, and also had improved personal relationships and vocational potential, all of which contributed to improvements in their overall quality of life.