Long-acting risperidone "important advance" in maintenance treatment

Maintenance therapy with long-acting injectable risperidone [Risperdal Consta] is an attractive treatment option for stable patients currently receiving oral antipsychotics, according to the results of two studies presented at the 158th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) [Atlanta, Georgia, US; May 2005]. The 12- and 6-month studies involved > 300 and > 1800 patients, respectively, and found that switching from oral antipsychotics to long-acting risperidone was not only associated with low rates of relapse, but also improvements in symptoms, cognitive function, movement disorders and compliance with treatment.