Long-acting risperidone: a review of its role in the treatment of bipolar disorder

WOS: 000267777400002PubMed: 19562274Bipolar disorder is a multidimensional illness typified by fluctuating periods of depression and mania, cognitive dysfunction, abnormal circadian rhythms, and multiple comorbid psychiatric and general medical conditions. Indefinite pharmacological treatment is often required, yet the modest effects of available treatments and frequent difficulties with tolerability and adherence present complex challenges to patients. Long-acting injectable medications offer a therapeutic alternative to oral mood stabilizers and may help facilitate long-term treatment adherence. This article will provide a succinct review of the latest data on the use of long-acting injectable risperidone (LAR) during the maintenance-phase treatment of bipolar disorder. The specific role of LAR in comparison to other atypical antipsychotics, and the limitations of available studies will be discussed from the perspectives of efficacy, tolerability, and sequential positioning in treatment guidelines.NARSADNARSAD; NIHUnited States Department of Health & Human ServicesNational Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA [1KL2RR024990]; International Society for Bipolar Disorders Research; American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; Eli LillyEli Lilly; Stanley Medical Research InstituteDr. Kemp has acted as a consultant to Bristol-Myers Squibb, has received research grants from NARSAD, and has served on a speaker's bureau for Pfizer. This work was supported in part by NIH grant 1KL2RR024990 and by the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Research Fellowship Award to Dr. Kemp. Dr. Canan has no relevant disclosures to report. Dr. Goldstein has received grants from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and NARSAD. Dr. McIntyre has received grants from Eli Lilly, NARSAD, and the Stanley Medical Research Institute; has served on the advisory boards for AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, France Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Ortho, Solvay/Wyeth, Eli Lilly, Organon, Lundbeck, Biovail, Pfizer, and Shire; served on the speaker's bureau for Janssen-Ortho, Astra-Zeneca, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, and Biovail; and has participated in CME activities with AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, France Foundation, I3CME, Solvay/Wyeth, and Physicians' Postgraduate Press