Background: e-STAR is a web-based, long-term (1 year retrospective and 2 year prospective) observational study of medication usage patterns and long-term treatment outcomes of patients initiated with long-acting risperidone.
Aim: The purpose of this interim analysis was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of 18 months continuous use of long-acting risperidone.
Methods: Data from 238 Australian patients with at least 18 months treatment with long-acting risperidone were extracted from the e-STAR database.
Results: At 18-months, the mean dose of long-acting risperidone was 42mg; 28.2% of patients were administered 25mg, 25.6% were administered 37.5mg and 37.4% were administered 50mg doses.
Clinician's Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) and Global Assessment of Function (GAF) scores were available for 225 patients. The mean ± SD CGI-S score decreased significantly from 4.6 ± 1.0 at baseline to 3.7 ± 1.1 and 3.5 ± 1.1 at 12- and 18-months, respectively (p <0.001 versus baseline). At baseline the mean ± SD GAF score was 41.9 ± 14, increasing to 57.7 ± 16.4 and 59.2 ± 16 at 12- and 18-months, respectively (p <0.001 versus baseline). Hospitalisations decreased from 1.29 new hospitalisations per year during the 12-months before long-acting risperidone initiation to 0.61 and 0.58 new hospitalisations per year after 12- and 18- months, respectively, of long-acting risperidone treatment.
A significant reduction in anticholinergic use was observed (22.8% at baseline versus 12.1% at 18-months, p < 0.001), with no change in mood-stabiliser or somatic medication use.
Conclusions: Early improvements in CGI-S and GAF scores were observed with long-acting risperidone treatment, and incremental improvements continued at 18-months. Positive effects on the rate of new hospitalisations per year were also seen.
Competing interests: Drs Emmerson, Hustig and Lambert are consultants, supported speakers and supported investigators of Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd. This abstract was prepared with the assistance of Michelle Edwards and the Medical Communications group at Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd.
