Monday, October 8, 2007

New Medication For The Treatment Of Schizophrenia Significantly Reduces Symptoms And Improves Patients’ Daily Lives(1,2)

INVEGA™ controls symptoms around the clock and may reduce the risk of some drug interactions, which can be a problem in the treatment of schizophrenia

Toronto, ON .- Health Canada has approved INVEGA™ (paliperidone) for the treatment of schizophrenia.1 INVEGA™ is the only once-daily oral treatment for schizophrenia that uses a unique OROS® technology designed to deliver and sustain a controlled level of medication throughout the day.1 Moreover, INVEGA™ is not extensively metabolized in the liver, which may mean fewer drug interactions for patients.1,3

People with schizophrenia are often on more than one medication (called polypharmacy) for conditions including anxiety disorders, depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV and hepatitis C.3 In fact, studies have shown that 43 per cent of patients on an atypical antipsychotic are on five or more other medications.4 Taking several drugs along with antipsychotic medication can alter the potency of the medication and may lead to serious and potentially life-threatening adverse events.3 Thus, reducing the risk of drug interactions in the treatment of schizophrenia is an important consideration.

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