Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is an involuntary movement disorder that is more prevalent in older patients. However, there is limited information on TD treatment for this population. In two 12-week pivotal trials (ARM-TD and AIM-TD), TD patients demonstrated significant improvements in Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) score with deutetrabenazine versus placebo.

Patients who completed ARM-TD or AIM-TD enrolled in an open-label extension (OLE) study. This post hoc analysis assessed change and percent change from baseline in AIMS score, response rates for ≥50% AIMS improvement, Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC), and safety in younger (<55 years) and older (≥55 years) patients.

This analysis included 119 younger and 218 older patients enrolled in the OLE. Data presented at Week 145 (mean±SE): total deutetrabenazine dose was 39.4±1.39mg/day and 39.5±1.04mg/day in younger and older patients, respectively. Changes from baseline in AIMS score were –6.7±0.62 and –6.5±0.47, respectively (percent changes of –61.4%±4.10% and –54.6%±3.01%). The majority of younger and older patients achieved treatment success per CGIC (67% and 76%) and PGIC (64% and 63%) and achieved ≥50% AIMS response (76% and 62%). Deutetrabenazine was generally well tolerated in both groups. Exposure-adjusted incidence rates (incidence/patient-years) were <0.01 and 0.02 for akathisia, 0.07 (both) for somnolence and sedation, 0.04 and 0.11 for parkinson-like events, and 0.06 and 0.09 for depression in younger and older patients, respectively.

Deutetrabenazine treatment was associated with sustained improvements in AIMS score and was well tolerated in both younger and older TD patients.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Petach Tikva, Israel