Drug updated on 4/16/2024
| Dosage Form | Injection (intramuscular; 300-mg and 400-mg) |
| Drug Class | Atypical antipsychotics |
| Ongoing and Completed Studies | ClinicalTrials.gov |
Indication
- Indicated for treatment of schizophrenia in adults.
- Indicated for maintenance monotherapy treatment of bipolar I disorder in adults.
Summary
- Aripiprazole (Abilify Maintena) is indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults and as a maintenance monotherapy treatment for bipolar I disorder in adults.
- Three systematic reviews/meta-analyses were reviewed to gather information about this drug's effectiveness and safety profile.
- One study found that young people with early psychosis who were prescribed aripiprazole experienced significant weight gain averaging 2.7 kg, which was associated with longer duration of exposure but not higher dosage, emphasizing the need for regular patient monitoring and interventions to manage antipsychotic-related weight gain.
- Another review compared different administration strategies of aripiprazole among approximately 1,187 participants; it concluded that high-dose strategy (>15 mg/day) resulted in significantly greater reductions in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total scores than low-dose strategy without obvious side effects except somnolence.
- The third meta-analysis assessed long-term efficacy and safety of aripiprazole as an augmentation strategy for major depressive disorder (MDD); it revealed improved response trend with duration of treatment but also reported common adverse effects such as akathisia, insomnia, somnolence, fatigue along with medically significant weight gain especially at doses ≥5mg.
- This same analysis suggested lower maintenance doses (2-5 mg) may be effective while having fewer side effects compared to larger doses (>5mg-10mg), indicating potential dose-dependent risk-benefit considerations when prescribing Abilify Maintena for refractory MDD patients over extended periods.
Product Monograph / Prescribing Information
| Document Title | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Abilify Maintena (aripiprazole) Prescribing Information. | 2020 | Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan |
Systematic Reviews / Meta-Analyses
| Document Title | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aripiprazole in young people with early psychosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of weight gain. | 2022 | Australasian Psychiatry |
| Dose-dependent efficacy of aripiprazole in treating patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. | 2021 | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Long-term efficacy and tolerability of adjunctive aripiprazole for major depressive disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis. | 2021 | The Primary Care Companion For CNS Disorders |