Pharmacopsychiatry 2003; 36 - 190
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-825441

Efficacy of aripiprazole in the treatment of mania

S Modell 1, M Kungel 1, M Ebrecht 1, P Wagner 2, R Marcus 3, W Carson 4
  • 1Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH, Medizin Neuroscience, München, Deutschland
  • 2Otsuka Pharma GmbH, Medizinische Abteilung, Frankfurt, Deutschland
  • 3Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Wallingford, CT, USA
  • 4Otsuka Pharma Ltd., Maryland Research Institute, Rockville, MD, USA

Aripiprazole is the first of a new class of atypical antipsychotics with a partial dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT1A receptor agonistic and a 5-HT2A receptor antagonistic mechanism of action. It has been showed to be efficient in treatment of schizophrenia and promises to be useful in the treatment of mania. Three multicenter studies investigated the treatment with aripiprazole over 3 weeks (n=262) compared to placebo and over 12 weeks (n=347) compared to haloperidol. Aripiprazole was superior to placebo and haloperidol regarding the improvement of manic symptoms. Significantly more patients (50,9%) stayed on aripiprazole compared to haloperidol (29,1%). Extrapyramidal symptoms occurred in 36% of the patients treated with haloperidol and in 9% of patients under aripiprazole. Treatment with aripirazole therefore is superior in the treatment of mania in an acute phase and also regarding the tolerability over 12 weeks compared to haloperidol.