Efficacy and Safety of the Third-Generation Atypical Antipsychotic Lurazidone in Treatment of Depression in Schizophrenia

Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Mental Health Research Center, Moscow, Russia

Summary:
Depressive symptoms are observed in 25 % of patients with schizophrenia. However, in a real-world practice these symptoms are frequently not considered to be a clinical target of a separate pharmacological intervention, though undoubtedly require special attention. Thus, atypical antipsychotics endowed with additional antidepressant effectiveness should be the treatment of choice. 
The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lurasidone 20-80 mg per day given for 6 weeks in 54 female patients (18 to 56 years) with schizophrenia remission and clinical depression (HDRS score of 17 or more) (ICD-10: F20.01 + F32.1-2; F20.04; F21.3-4 + F32.1-2). The HDRS-21, CGI, and UKU scales were used for psychometric evaluation. 
Results. The proportion of responders with 50 % decrease on the HDRS-21 scores was 68,5 %, and 70.7 % were qualified as “much improved” and “very much improved” according to the CGI scale. It was also shown, that antiapathic activity prevails in the spectre of antidepressive effect for lurasidone with the significant decrease in of the correspondent cluster symptoms from 2 to 0,5 points in 6 weeks. 
Conclusion: It was found that lurasidone has a pronounced antidepressant effect and is also characterized by a favorable tolerability profile. The spectrum of antidepressant activity of lurasidone is characterized by a pronounced effect on apathy, adynamia, asthenia and anhedonia.
Keywords: lurasidone, schizophrenia, depression, anhedonia, apathy

Contact: i.oleichik@mail.ru  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8344-0620
CITATION: Oleichik I.V., Baranov P.A., Shishkovskaia T.I., Sizov S.V. Efficacy and Safety of the Third-Generation Atypical Antipsychotic Lurazidone in the Treatment of Depression in Schizophrenia // Sovrem. ter. psih. rasstrojstv [Current Therapy of Mental Disorders]. – 2021. – No. 2. – P. 20–35. –
DOI: 10.21265/PSYPH.2021.57.2.004 
CONFLICT OF INTEREST: this work was carried out with a sponsorship from Angelini Pharma Rus LLC.