Intervention: Asenapine
Trial phase: Phase 3
ATC code: N05AH05
SMILES: CN1CC2c3ccccc3Oc3ccc(Cl)cc3C2C1
Sex: All
Age groups: Adult
Healthy volunteers: No
Participants at risk: 175
Group description: Participants received a 5 mg asenapine fast dissolving tablet BID for 6 weeks.
Eligibility criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

current diagnosis of schizophrenia of paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, or undifferentiated (295.90) subtype
minimum Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score of 60 at screening and Baseline.
participant had a score of at least 4 in two or more of 5 items in the positive subscale of the PANSS at Screening and Baseline.

participant confirmed by the investigator to be experiencing an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia as evidenced by ALL of the following:

at the screening test, the duration of the current episode was no more than 2 months;
current symptoms represented a dramatic and substantial change compared to the participant's symptomatic state prior to the emergence of the current episode;
participant was in need of changing medication or dosage to treat newly appeared or worsened positive symptoms.
participant had a Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) scale score of at least 4 (moderately ill) at Baseline;
responded positively to an antipsychotic medication in a prior episode.
discontinued the use of all prohibited concomitant medications, with last dose taken no later than the evening prior to the baseline visit (For depot neuroleptic, discontinuation must have occurred more than 3 months prior to randomization).
participants must agree to inpatient status for screening period and for up to 42 days of dosing and, for out-patient phase, had a caregiver or an identified responsible person (e.g., family member, social worker, case worker, or nurse) whom the investigator accepts and who has agreed to provide support to the participant to ensure compliance with study treatment, out-patient visits, and protocol procedures.

Exclusion Criteria:

not be treatment-refractory defined by the following criteria: (1) had been treated with at least two different atypical anti-psychotic agents at dosages equivalent to or greater than 600 mg/day of chlorpromazine (12 mg /day of haloperidol) for more than 4 weeks, each without clinical response, or (2) has received clozapine for 12 weeks immediately preceding the screening.
not have received treatment with 3 or more antipsychotic drugs, or dose-equivalents higher than 18 mg/day of haloperidol (equivalent 900 mg/day of chlorpromazine) within one month prior to randomization.
not have a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder; schizophrenia of residual subtype; schizophreniform disorder, or schizophrenia with course specifiers continuous, single episode in partial remission, or single episode in full remission
not have a concurrent psychiatric disorder other than schizophrenia coded on Axis I; not have a primary diagnosis other than schizophrenia
not have had a known diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, mental retardation or organic brain disorder.
not have a 20% or greater decrease in PANSS total score from screening to baseline
not have an imminent risk of self-harm or harm to others, in the investigator's opinion.
not have a substance induced psychotic disorder or a behavioral disturbance thought to be due to substance abuse
not be currently under involuntary in-patient confinement.
not been previously treated with asenapine.