Akathisia is a common adverse effect associated with use of dopamine receptor blocking agents.1,2 Symptoms of akathisia, in severe cases, may lead to discontinuation of treatment. Cariprazine is a dopamine D3-preferring D3/D2 receptor partial agonist and serotonin 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist approved to treat schizophrenia and acute manic, mixed, and depressive episodes of bipolar 1 disorder. Cariprazine is well tolerated in patients across its indications, but is associated with a higher incidence of akathisia compared with placebo.3,4 This pooled post hoc analysis of data from phase 3 clinical trials of adjunctive cariprazine aimed to characterize the incidence, severity, and management of akathisia and other extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) in adult patients with MDD.

Patients with MDD and inadequate response to ongoing antidepressant therapy (ADT) were randomized to cariprazine 1.5 mg/d + ADT, cariprazine 3 mg/d + ADT, or placebo + ADT for 6 weeks of double-blind treatment. Post hoc analysis evaluated incidence, severity, and time to resolution of akathisia, restlessness, and other EPS; use of rescue medications; and the rate of discontinuation due to these treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs).

A total of 1508 patients (cariprazine + ADT: 1.5 mg/d, n=502, 3 mg/d, n=503; placebo + ADT, n=503) were included in these 2 studies. The incidence of akathisia was greater with cariprazine 3 mg/d + ADT (9.7%) than with cariprazine 1.5 mg/d + ADT (6.4%) and placebo + ADT (2.0%). Most patients treated with cariprazine + ADT (94%) experienced only mild or moderate akathisia. The incidence of restlessness was 3.8% for patients treated with cariprazine 3 mg/d + ADT, 3.6% for cariprazine 1.5 mg/d + ADT, and 1.8% for placebo + ADT. The incidence of EPS excluding akathisia and restlessness was 4.4% for patients treated with cariprazine 3 mg/d + ADT, 4.6% for cariprazine 1.5 mg/d + ADT, and 3.2% for placebo + ADT. For patients treated with cariprazine + ADT and placebo + ADT, respectively, EPS-related study discontinuations were 1.4% and 0.4% due to akathisia, 0.2% and 0.0% due to restlessness, and 0.1% and 0.4% due to EPS excluding akathisia and restlessness. Rescue medications were used to treat EPS-related TEAEs during the double-blind treatment period in 3% of cariprazine-treated patients and 0.4% of placebo-treated patients. The mean time to resolution of akathisia during treatment was slightly shorter in cariprazine-treated patients (15.6 days) versus placebo-treated patients (19.5 days).

Incidence of akathisia was higher for cariprazine than placebo, with a lower incidence observed for patients treated with cariprazine 1.5 + ADT than with cariprazine 3 mg/d + ADT, suggestive of a dose related effect. Most patients experienced mild or moderate akathisia. Rates of study discontinuation and rescue medication use due to akathisia were low, suggesting that akathisia was tolerated by most patients.

This data was previously presented at the CINP World Congress; Montreal, Canada; May 7-10, 2023.

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