Premium
Randomized controlled study of the T‐type calcium channel antagonist MK‐8998 for the treatment of acute psychosis in patients with schizophrenia
Author(s) -
Egan Michael F.,
Zhao Xin,
Smith Andrew,
Troyer Matthew D.,
Uebele Victor N.,
Pidkorytov Valerii,
Cox Kevin,
Murphy Michael,
Snavely Duane,
Lines Christopher,
Michelson David
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.2289
Subject(s) - olanzapine , placebo , positive and negative syndrome scale , medicine , odds ratio , randomized controlled trial , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , confidence interval , dopamine antagonist , psychosis , antagonist , psychology , gastroenterology , psychiatry , receptor , alternative medicine , pathology
Objective This study aimed to evaluate whether the T‐type calcium channel antagonist MK‐8998 was effective in treating acute psychosis in patients with schizophrenia. Methods This was a randomized, double‐blind, parallel‐group study. After a placebo lead‐in, acutely psychotic inpatients with schizophrenia were randomized to 4 weeks of MK‐8998 12/16 mg daily ( N = 86), olanzapine 10/15 mg daily ( N = 47), or placebo ( N = 83). The primary efficacy measure was score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results Out of 216 randomized patients, 158 completed the 4‐week study: MK‐8998 = 58 (67.4%), olanzapine = 38 (80.9%), and placebo = 62 (74.7%). The mean changes from baseline in PANSS score at week 4 for MK‐8998 and olanzapine were not significantly different from placebo: MK‐8998–placebo difference = −0.6 [95% confidence interval (CI): −7.0, 5.8], p = 0.9; olanzapine–placebo difference = −4.3 [95% CI: −11.7, 3.1), p = 0.3. A responder rate analysis (≥20% improvement from baseline in PANSS score) suggested an advantage of olanzapine over placebo (odds ratio = 2.20 [95% CI: 0.95, 5.09], p = 0.07) but no effect of MK‐8998 over placebo (odds ratio = 1.28 [95% CI: 0.62, 2.64], p = 0.5). Treatments were generally well tolerated, but more patients reported adverse events for MK‐8998 (47.7%) and olanzapine (48.9%) than placebo (37.3%). Conclusions MK‐8998 was not effective in treating acutely psychotic inpatients with schizophrenia, as measured by PANSS score at week 4. Because of the limited efficacy of the active comparator, we cannot exclude the possibility that T‐type calcium channel antagonists could prove to be effective in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.