Clinical Utility of Early Intervention Including the 5-Step Precision Medicine Method in First-Episode Psychosis:...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Pharmacogenetics
• Precision Medicine

Background:

• Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders pose significant challenges due to high disability and treatment costs.
• Antipsychotic discontinuation rates are high, necessitating personalized treatment strategies.
• Pharmacogenetics-guided personalized precision psychiatry offers a promising approach for first-episode psychosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if personalized precision psychiatry, incorporating pharmacogenetics via the 5-step precision medicine (5SPM) method, improves antipsychotic adherence and clinical outcomes in young patients with first-episode psychosis.
• To compare an early intervention model (PRINT program) using 5SPM against standard care.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study of two cohorts of patients with first-episode psychosis.
• Cohort 1 receives the PRINT program with 5SPM; Cohort 2 receives standard care.
• Primary outcome: 1-year all-cause discontinuation of antipsychotics. Secondary outcomes: pragmatic efficacy, tolerability, and functional outcomes.

Main Results:

• Ethics approval obtained June 2023; recruitment ongoing until May 2026.
• Data collection expected by June 2027, with analysis and project completion by December 2027.
• Comparative analysis includes environmental, clinical, and pharmacogenetic data from 300 patients.

Conclusions:

• The CLUMP project will establish a blueprint for implementing and assessing personalized precision psychiatry in early intervention for psychosis.
• This research aims to benefit young individuals experiencing their first episode of severe mental illness.
• The study will provide insights into improving treatment adherence and outcomes through pharmacogenetics.