Conditions: Schizophrenia
Keywords: Schizophrenia Risperidone Risperdal
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 75
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of long acting injectable (LAI) risperidone and oral risperidone treatment on participants with schizophrenia (psychiatric disorder with symptoms of emotional instability, detachment from reality, often with delusions and hallucinations, and withdrawal into the self) or schizoaffective disorder (a mixed psychiatric disorder relating to a complex psychotic state that has features of both schizophrenia and a mood disorder such as bipolar disorder).

Detailed description:
This is a randomized (treatment group assigned by chance), open-label (all involved people know the identity of the study drug), active-controlled study to evaluate the improvement in social functioning among participants with schizophrenia taking LAI risperidone and oral risperidone tablet. The study drug will be administered for 52 weeks in flexible dose (range as per Investigator's discretion) and a total of 11 assessment visits will be conducted per participant, including Screening. The participant may be withdrawn from the trial for any medical reason at the sole discretion of the investigator. Before starting the study treatment, participants undergo the period of switching from the previous medication to risperidone for 4 weeks, and then they will be evaluated for tolerability for 2 weeks (run-in period for stabilizing to risperidone). In this 2-week period, participants will take oral risperidone. The efficacy will be primarily evaluated through Personal and Social Performance Scale. Safety will be evaluated through Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale, Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale, and Simpson-Angus Rating Scale. Participants' safety will be monitored throughout the study.

Arms:
arm 1: None arm 2: None

Interventions: intervention 1: Risperidone long acting injectables intervention 2: Risperidone tablets
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Risperidone long acting injectables will be administered intramuscularly (given into the skin) at a flexible dose of 25, 37.5 or 50 milligram (mg) every 2 weeks up to Week 52. A supplementary oral antipsychotic will also be administered for 3-4 weeks after the initial dose of injection. intervention 2: Risperidone tablets will be administered orally as 0.5-10 mg daily up to Week 52.

Protocol document: