Comparative efficacy of centbutindole & risperidone in schizophrenia

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Pharmacology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Centbutindole is a novel antipsychotic agent from the butyrophenone class.
• It acts as a dopamine antagonist and also blocks 5HT(2) receptors.
• Previous clinical trials (Phase I-III) indicated successful and effective antipsychotic activity in schizophrenia patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of centbutindole with risperidone in treating schizophrenia.
• To assess the onset and overall effectiveness of antipsychotic action.
• To evaluate the side effect profiles of both drugs over an 8-week period.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, 8-week comparative study involving schizophrenic patients.
• Efficacy was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Clinical Global Impression (CGI), and UKU side effect rating scale.
• 44 patients were enrolled, with 38 completing the trial.

Main Results:

• Both centbutindole and risperidone exhibited a similar onset of antipsychotic action, with significant reductions in total PANSS scores and its subscales (positive, negative, general psychopathology) starting from week 2.
• A steady and significant decline in scores was observed from week 2 to week 8 for both groups.
• Centbutindole showed comparable improvement in clinical global impression to risperidone.
• The side effect profiles were similar, with a notable exception of dystonia, which occurred more frequently in the centbutindole group (5 patients) compared to the risperidone group (1 patient).

Conclusions:

• Centbutindole is a promising new drug for schizophrenia treatment, offering efficacy comparable to risperidone.
• The drug effectively improves both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
• Centbutindole may serve as a viable alternative to typical antipsychotics, particularly due to its positive impact on negative symptoms.