Lurasidone is an atypical antipsychotic that demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of adults with schizophrenia in the dose range of 37–148 mg/day.

The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of lurasidone in adolescent patients with schizophrenia.

Adolescents (13–17 years old) diagnosed with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to six weeks of double-blind treatment with lurasidone 37 mg/day, 74 mg/day or placebo. Changes from baseline to week 6 in PANSS total and subscale (positive, negative, general psychopathology, excitability) scores were evaluated using mixed-model repeated-measures analysis.

A total of 326 patients (mean age, 15.4 years) were randomized and received lurasidone 37 mg/day (n = 108), 74 mg/day (n = 106), or placebo (n = 112). The PANSS total score at week 6 demonstrated a placebo-adjusted, least-squares (LS) mean improvement of –8.0 (P < 0.001; effect size [ES], 0.51) for the 37 mg/day group and –7.7 (P < 0.001; ES = 0.48) for the 74 mg/day group. Placebo-adjusted LS mean change for lurasidone 37 mg/day and 74 mg/day, respectively, was –3.2 (P < 0.001; ES = 0.62) and –3.2 (P < 0.001; ES = 0.60) on the PANSS positive subscale, –1.7 (P = 0.011; ES = 0.41) and –1.6 (P = 0.022; ES = 0.35) on the PANSS negative subscale, –2.8 (P = 0.012; ES = 0.38) and –2.8 (P = 0.011; ES = 0.37) on the PANSS general psychopathology subscale, and –1.1 (P = 0.016; ES = 0.36) and –1.8 (P < 0.001; ES = 0.53) on the PANSS excitability subscale.

In adolescent patients with schizophrenia, lurasidone (37 mg/day and 74 mg/day) demonstrated statistically significant efficacy and clinically meaningful improvement across a wide spectrum of symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Sponsored by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01911429.

Dr Correll reports being a consultant and/or advisor for Alkermes, Forum Pharmaceuticals Inc., Gerson Lehrman Group, IntraCellular Therapies, Janssen/J&J, Lundbeck, Medavante, Medscape, Otsuka, Pfizer Inc, ProPhase, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Supernus, Takeda, and Teva providing expert testimony for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Janssen, and Otsuka serving on a Data Safety Monitoring Board for Lundbeck and Pfizer Inc and receiving grant support from Takeda. Drs Goldman, Cucchiaro, Deng and Loebel are employees of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.