Conditions: Schizophrenia
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 360
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this trial is to assess the effect of asenapine 2.5 and 5 mg sublingually twice daily (BID) compared with placebo in the treatment of schizophrenia (overall symptoms) as measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Olanzapine administered 15 mg orally once daily (QD) was used as an active control. The primary hypothesis is that at least one of the asenapine doses is superior to placebo in improving schizophrenia symptoms as measured by the change from Baseline in the PANSS total score at Day 42. The first key secondary hypothesis is that at least one of the asenapine doses is superior to placebo in improving schizophrenia symptoms as measured by the change from Baseline in Clinical Global Impression Scale-Severity (CGI-S) score at Day 42. The second key secondary hypothesis is that at least one of the asenapine doses is superior to placebo in improving schizophrenia symptoms as measured by the rate of PANSS responders (≥30% Reduction From Baseline in PANSS Total Score) at Day 42.

Detailed description:
The trial consists of a screening/tapering period, treatment period, and follow-up period. The 6-week active treatment period includes an inpatient phase and outpatient phase. Participants who complete the trial may continue treatment under a long-term extension protocol (P05689). Participants who do not continue in the treatment continuation trial (whether they complete the 6-week trial or discontinue prematurely) will have a follow-up visit 7 days after their last dose of trial medication.

Arms:
arm 1: None arm 2: None arm 3: None arm 4: None

Interventions: intervention 1: Asenapine intervention 2: Placebo Asenapine intervention 3: Olanzapine intervention 4: Placebo Olanzapine
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: 2.5 mg or 5 mg fast dissolving active asenapine tablets administered sublingually intervention 2: Fast dissolving placebo asenapine tablets (to match 2.5 mg and 5 mg active asenapine tablets) administered sublingually intervention 3: 5 and 10 mg film-coated active olanzapine tablets administered orally QD. The time of the active olanzapine dose (either morning or evening) is not disclosed in order to preserve blinding intervention 4: Film-coated placebo olanzapine tablets (to match 5 and 10 mg active olanzapine tablets) administered orally

Protocol document: