A Randomized, Double-blind, Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of Amisulpride Versus Low-dose Amisulpride Plus Low-dose Sulpiride in the Treatment of Schizophrenia

Summary

Background: Surveys have shown that antipsychotic drug combinations are frequently prescribed. Amisulpride, an atypical antipsychotic agent, has low incidence of extrapyramidal symptom (EPS) but with high cost compared to sulpiride. The objective of the study is to compare the efficacy and safety of the 800-mg/d amisulpride and 400-mg/d amisulpride plus 800-mg sulpiride in the treatment of acute psychotic exacerbations of schizophrenia. Method: In this 6-week, double-blind, fixed-dose study, patients with schizophrenia are randomly assigned to amisulpride (800 mg/d) or amisulpride (400 mg/d) plus sulpiride (800 mg/d).The hypothesis is that the two treatment groups have the similar efficacy and safety, but different cost.

Timeline

Start

2008-01

Primary completion

2011-12

Completion

2011-12

Publications

• Results Leucht S, Wahlbeck K, Hamann J, Kissling W. New generation antipsychotics versus low-potency conventional antipsychotics: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2003 May 10;361(9369):1581-9. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)13306-5.
• Results Kapur S, Seeman P. Does fast dissociation from the dopamine d(2) receptor explain the action of atypical antipsychotics?: A new hypothesis. Am J Psychiatry. 2001 Mar;158(3):360-9. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.158.3.360.
• Results McKeage K, Plosker GL. Amisulpride: a review of its use in the management of schizophrenia. CNS Drugs. 2004;18(13):933-56. doi: 10.2165/00023210-200418130-00007.
• Results Chakos MH, Glick ID, Miller AL, Hamner MB, Miller DD, Patel JK, Tapp A, Keefe RS, Rosenheck RA. Baseline use of concomitant psychotropic medications to treat schizophrenia in the CATIE trial. Psychiatr Serv. 2006 Aug;57(8):1094-101. doi: 10.1176/ps.2006.57.8.1094.
• Lin CH, Wang FC, Lin SC, Huang YH, Chen CC, Lane HY. Antipsychotic combination using low-dose antipsychotics is as efficacious and safe as, but cheaper, than optimal-dose monotherapy in the treatment of schizophrenia: a randomized, double-blind study. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2013 Sep;28(5):267-74. doi: 10.1097/YIC.0b013e3283633a83.

Drugs

Indications