Clinical experiments with the new oral long-acting neuroleptic clopimozide (R 29 764)

A pilot study with the new oral long-acting neuroleptic agent clopimozide, a diphenylbutylpiperidine derivative, has been reported. 30 female patients, only 20 of whom completed the trial, were treated with dosages of between 5 and 35 mg. The treatment comprised four periods in which the maximum tolerated daily dosage, the optimal weekly dosage (mean: 20.25 mg), the maximum tolerated weekly dosage and the optimal daily dosage were to be determined. In 10 patients plasma levels were determined with the radio-immunological method. The product exhibited a marked effect on schizophrenic target symptoms (significant at the 0.001 and 0.01 levels), of at least one week's duration, with an absence of sedation and a low degree of extrapyramidal side-effects. Clopimozide appears to be particularly suitable for the neuroleptic long-term treatment of compensated schizophrenic patients with insight into their disease.