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Improvement of functioning in patients with schizophrenia: real-world effectiveness of aripiprazole once-monthly

Oloruntoba Oluboka¹, Guerline Clerzius², Wolfgang Janetzky³

¹University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada. toba.oluboka@ahs.ca.

|May 31, 2023

Abstract

Background:

Functional impairment affects many patients with schizophrenia. Treatment with the long-acting injectable antipsychotic aripiprazole once-monthly (AOM) may help improve functioning.

Objectives:

To explore changes in functioning in patients with schizophrenia who received AOM treatment in observational studies.

Methods:

Here we report functional outcomes in the form of Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores in a pooled analysis of data from two observational studies from Canada (NCT02131415) and Germany (vfa non-interventional studies registry 15960N). Data from 396 patients were analyzed.

Results:

At baseline, the mean GAF score was 47.7 (SD 13.4). During 6 months of treatment with AOM, the mean GAF score increased to 59.4 (SD 15.8). Subgroups stratified by patient age (≤35 years/>35 years), sex, disease duration (≤5 years/>5 years) and disease severity at baseline had all significantly improved their GAF at month 6. 51.5% of the patients showed a GAF score increase of at least 10 points, which was regarded as clinically meaningful, and were considered responders.

Conclusions:

These data show that treatment with AOM may help improve patient functioning in a routine treatment setting.

Trial Registration:

NCT02131415 (May 6, 2014), vfa non-interventional studies registry 15960N.

Keywords:

Aripiprazole once-monthly Functioning Long-acting injectable Observational study Real-world evidence Schizophrenia

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