Conditions: Schizophrenia
Keywords: Schizophrenia Paliperidone Paliperidone Extended-Release
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 201
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability and safety of paliperidone extended release (ER) tablets (between 3 to 12 milligram (mg), once a day) in the prevention of relapse in schizophrenia participants.

Detailed description:
This is a double-blind (neither physician nor participant knows the name of the assigned drug), randomized (participants are assigned to treatment by a chance), placebo-controlled, and parallel-group study of paliperidone ER tablets. The study will consist of 6 phases: 14 days of screening phase, 8 weeks of open-label run-in phase (participants will be flexibly dosed with paliperidone ER once daily in a dose range of 3 mg to 12 mg), 6 weeks of stabilization phase (participants will continue to receive the fixed dose of paliperidone ER), double-blind (DB) phase of various length (participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either paliperidone ER or placebo and this phase will be completed after 86 relapse events are observed or if the study is positive at the interim analysis), 6 months of open-label extension (participants who experience a relapse event or who remain relapse free for the entire duration of the double-blind phase and participants who are enrolled at the time the study is terminated, will be eligible for this phase. All participants will be treated with paliperidone ER and safety and tolerability information will be collected during this phase) phase and 6 months of follow-up phase (participants who withdraw during the DB phase for any reason other than relapse will be followed for 6 months or until they experience a relapse). Participants' safety will be monitored throughout the study.

Arms:
arm 1: Paliperidone extended-release (ER) oral tablet will be administered at a starting dose of 3 milligram (mg) once daily for 8 weeks. Dose will be increased from milligram per day (3 mg/day) after 5 days based on Investigator's discretion, up to maximum of 12 mg/day. arm 2: Participants who transitioned from run-in or stabilization phase received 3 to 12 mg fixed dose of paliperidone ER oral tablet once daily during DB phase of the study. Participants who will experience a relapse event during the DB phase or who will remain relapse free for the entire duration of the DB phase and participants, who will be enrolled at the time the study termination will enter in open label extension phase, wherein paliperidone ER oral tablet will be administered once daily as 3 to 12 mg. arm 3: Participants who transitioned from run-in or stabilization phase received matching placebo to paliperidone ER once daily during DB phase of the study. Participants who will experience a relapse event during the DB phase or who will remain relapse free for the entire duration of the DB phase and participants, who will be enrolled at the time the study termination will enter in open label extension phase, wherein paliperidone ER oral tablet will be administered once daily as 3 to 12 mg.

Interventions: intervention 1: Paliperidone intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Paliperidone extended-release (ER) oral tablet will be administered at a starting dose of 3 milligram (mg) up to 12 mg once daily for 8 weeks in Run-in or Stabilization phase, and 3-12 mg fixed dose oral tablet will be administered in DB phase. Participants who will enter open-label extension phase will receive paliperidone as 3-12 mg per day. intervention 2: Participants who transitioned from run-in or stabilization phase will receive matching placebo to paliperidone ER once daily during DB phase of the study.

Protocol document: