Conditions: Schizophrenia
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 9809
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of the study is to determine whether there is an increased all-cause mortality in sertindole-treated patients in comparison to patients treated with a well-known antipsychotic (risperidone) when used under normal marketed conditions in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Detailed description:
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) requested a post-marketing study to ascertain that the favourable benefit-risk profile and low mortality rates seen in the clinical studies with sertindole would not be offset by higher mortality rates when sertindole was used under more normal conditions of use. It was recognised that, in a clinical trial setting, strict patient selection and monitoring could lead to higher compliance in patient management and thereby to a lower mortality rate. Study 99824 was therefore designed in collaboration with the CHMP as an open-label, randomised study with minimum study management that focused on mortality and general patient safety. The duration of the treatment period was not fixed. No efficacy measures were included.

Arms:
arm 1: Normally in the range of 4 to 20 mg/day arm 2: Normally in the range of 2 to 8 mg/day

Interventions: intervention 1: Sertindole intervention 2: Risperidone
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Sertindole was supplied as 4, 12, 16, and 20 mg tablets. The start and maintenance dosages as well as dose titration were set by the investigator, in accordance with the national Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) for sertindole; in countries where sertindole was not marketed, the European Union (EU) SPC applied (all national and EU SPCs were essentially identical). Recommended dose range: 12 to 20 mg/day. The investigators were instructed to contact H. Lundbeck A/S if they deemed it necessary to increase the dose of sertindole to 24 mg/day, which was allowed in exceptional cases intervention 2: Risperidone was supplied as 1, 2, 3, and 4 mg tablets. The start and maintenance dosages as well as dose titration were set by the investigator, in accordance with the national SPC for risperidone. Recommended dose range: 2 to 8 mg/day

Protocol document: