Breaking boundaries: Introducing cariprazine

In 2023, Adcock Ingram introduced cariprazine, an antipsychotic prescribed for individuals living with schizophrenia.1 Schizophrenia is a multifaceted disorder,2 marked by alterations in positive, negative, cognitive, and affective symptoms.2 Globally, it affects ~24 million individuals and ranks among the top 20 leading causes of years lost due to disability.2

P

ositive symptoms of schizophrenia include persistent delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, speech, and behaviour. Conversely, negative symptoms include avolition, blunted or flat affect, psychomotor disturbances, as well as experiences of passivity and control.2 While positive symptoms tend to naturally diminish over time, negative symptoms often persist, correlating with a poor prognosis.2

Cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia affect various domains, including sustained attention, early information processing, contextual processing, memory, verbal and non-verbal abilities, executive functioning, abstraction, and conceptual organization.3

Affective symptoms such as depression and anxiety are prevalent among individuals with schizophrenia. Research indicates that up to 80% of individuals experience depressive symptoms, while the prevalence of any anxiety disorder is estimated to be around 38%, with social anxiety disorder being the most common.4,5

Several launches took place over the past few months in South Africa. In our article on page 6, we highlight five pivotal aspects that distinguish cariprazine from other antipsychotics:

1. Distinct pharmacological profile: Cariprazine exhibits a unique pharmacological profile compared to other atypical antipsychotics.

2. Extended half-life: The long half-life of cariprazine offers protection to individuals, even in cases of missed doses.

3. Broad-spectrum treatment: Cariprazine serves as a comprehensive treatment, effectively addressing both positive and negative symptoms.

4. Treatment of predominant negative symptoms: Cariprazine stands out as the sole antipsychotic with documented efficacy in treating predominant negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

5. Excellent safety profile: Cariprazine boasts an excellent safety profile, further distinguishing it from other antipsychotics.

In our article on page 12, Dr Pravesh Kassen, a practicing psychiatrist at Akeso Clinic in Pietermaritzburg, offers valuable insights from his experiences with cariprazine.

We hope you find this guide valuable in your journey toward understanding and managing schizophrenia. With the introduction of cariprazine, there is renewed hope for improved outcomes and enhanced quality of life for individuals living with this complex disorder. 

References

1. Professional Information. Reagila. Updated 2022. [Internet]. Available at: https://pi-pil-repository.sahpra.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Final_PIL_Reagila_Applicant.pdf 

2. Masinga N, Nyamaruze P, Akintola, O. A retrospective study exploring how South African newspapers framed Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders over an 11-year period (2004–2014). BMC Psychiatry 22, 667 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-04276-5

3. Srisudha B, Kattula D, Devika S, Rachana A. Cognitive dysfunction and disability in people living with schizophrenia. J Family Med Prim Care, 2022 Jun;11(6):2356-2362. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_396_21. Epub 2022 Jun 30. 

4. Morrissette DA, Stahl SM. Affective symptoms in schizophrenia. Drug Discovery Today: Therapeutic Strategies, Volume 8, Issues 1–2, doi.org/10.1016/j.ddstr.2011.

5. Temmingh H, Stein DJ. Anxiety in Patients with Schizophrenia: Epidemiology and Management. CNS Drugs, 2015;29(10):819-32. doi: 10.1007/s40263-015-0282-7. PMID: 26482261.