Psychiatria pre prax 1/2022

Aripiprazole in the form of long-acting intramuscular injections in the clinical practice

Aripiprazole in the form of long-acting intramuscular injections (ALAI) is intended for maintenance treatment of schizophrenia in adult patients stabilized on oral aripiprazole. The recommended maintenance dose is 400 mg administered once a month. It is the first longacting antipsychotic drug with partial agonistic action on D2 receptors. Two large registration trials have confirmed the efficacy of ALAI in maintenance treatment of schizophrenia. ALAI was more effective than placebo and displayed non inferiority to oral aripiprazole in delaying psychosis exacerbation or impending relapse and in reducing relapse rates. ALAI is well tolerated, with its adverse effect profile corresponding to that of the tablet formulation. In an indirect comparison with other second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics, the use of ALAI poses a lower risk of weight gain, metabolic symptoms, hyperprolactinaemia, and sedation. ALAI is easy to use, with practical guidance on how to switch from other antipsychotics being available.

Keywords: aripiprazole, long-acting injection, tolerance