To Determine Long Term Efficacy and Safety of Asenapine in Schizophrenic Patient Population (A7501012)(COMPLETED)(P05770)
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2008-07-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Schizophrenia is a brain disease. The condition may be associated with acute psychotic
episodes and long-term disability despite remission from the acute symptoms. Current
management of schizophrenia focuses on the treatment of acute symptoms as well as long-term
treatment aimed at preventing relapse after patients have experienced an improvement in acute
symptoms. Patients who discontinue treatment have a high likelihood of experiencing relapse
within 1-2 years after an acute episode of schizophrenia. Patients who remain on
antipsychotic treatment have lower rates of relapse and have milder courses of exacerbation
when relapse occurs.The symptoms of schizophrenia may be due to an imbalance in chemicals in
the brain, primarily dopamine and serotonin, which enables brain cells to communicate with
each other. Asenapine may help to correct the imbalance in dopamine and serotonin. The
purpose of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy of asenapine in preventing
relapse/impending relapse (hereafter referred to as 'relapse') in subjects who have been
treated with asenapine for symptoms of schizophrenia for 26 weeks. In addition, to determine
the safety and tolerability of asenapine for up to 1-year of treatment.