Sultopride hydrochloride (LIN-1418 hydrochloride)

Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Antipsychotic Drugs for Acute Schizophrenia

Objective: The dose-response relationships of antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia are not well defined, but such information would be important for decision making by clinicians. The authors sought to fill this gap by conducting dose-response meta-analyses. Methods: A search of multiple electronic databases (through November 2018) was conducted for all placebo-controlled dose-finding studies for 20 second-generation antipsychotic drugs and haloperidol (oral and long-acting injectable, LAI) in people with acute schizophrenia symptoms. Dose-response curves were constructed with random-effects dose-response meta-analyses and a spline model. The outcome measure was total score reduction from baseline on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale or the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. The authors identified 95% effective doses, explored whether higher or lower doses than the currently licensed ones might be more appropriate, and derived dose equivalencies from the 95% effective doses. Results: Sixty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The 95% effective doses and the doses equivalent to 1 mg of oral risperidone, respectively, were as follows: amisulpride for patients with positive symptoms, 537 mg/day and 85.8 mg; aripiprazole, 11.5 mg/day and 1.8 mg; aripiprazole LAI (lauroxil), 463 mg every 4 weeks and 264 mg; asenapine, 15.0 mg/day and 2.4 mg; brexpiprazole, 3.36 mg/day and 0.54 mg; haloperidol, 6.3 mg/day and 1.01 mg; iloperidone, 20.13 mg/day and 3.2 mg; lurasidone, 147 mg/day and 23.5 mg; olanzapine, 15.2 mg/day and 2.4 mg; olanzapine LAI, 277 mg every 2 weeks and 3.2 mg; paliperidone, 13.4 mg/day and 2.1 mg; paliperidone LAI, 120 mg every 4 weeks and 1.53 mg; quetiapine, 482 mg/day and 77 mg; risperidone, 6.3 mg/day and 1 mg; risperidone LAI, 36.6 mg every 2 weeks and 0.42 mg; sertindole, 22.5 mg/day and 3.6 mg; and ziprasidone, 186 mg/day and 30 mg. For amisulpride and olanzapine, specific data for patients with predominant negative symptoms were available. The authors have made available on their web site a spreadsheet with this method and other updated methods that can be used to estimate dose equivalencies in practice. Conclusions: In chronic schizophrenia patients with acute exacerbations, doses higher than the identified 95% effective doses may on average not provide more efficacy. For some drugs, higher than currently licensed doses might be tested in further trials, because their dose-response curves did not plateau.

Burning mouth syndrome: a review and update

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is mainly found in middle aged or elderly women and is characterized by intense burning or itching sensation of the tongue or other regions of the oral mucosa. It can be accompanied by xerostomia and dysgeusia. The syndrome generally manifests spontaneously, and the discomfort is typically of a continuous nature but increases in intensity during the evening and at night. Although BMS classically has been attributed to a range of factors, in recent years evidence has been obtained relating it peripheral (sensory C and/or trigeminal nerve fibers) or central neuropathic disturbances (involving the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system). The differential diagnosis requires the exclusion of oral mucosal lesions or blood test alterations that can produce burning mouth sensation. Patient management is based on the avoidance of causes of oral irritation and the provision of psychological support. Drug treatment for burning sensation in primary BMS of peripheral origin can consist of topical clonazepam, while central type BMS appears to improve with the use of antidepressants such as duloxetine, antiseizure drugs such as gabapentin, or amisulpride.

Gateways to clinical trials

Gateways to Clinical Trials is a guide to the most recent clinical trials in current literature and congresses. The data in the following tables can be retrieved from the Clinical Studies knowledge area of Prous Science Integrity, the drug discovery and development portal, http://integrity.prous.com. This issue focuses on the following selection of drugs: Abacavir sulfate, abarelix, abciximab, acarbose, alefacept, alteplase, amisulpride, amoxicillin trihydrate, apomorphine hydrochloride, aprepitant, argatroban monohydrate, aspirin, atenolol; Betamethasone dipropionate, betamethasone valerate, bicalutamide, bleomycin sulfate; Calcium carbonate, candesartan cilexetil, celecoxib, cetirizine hydrochloride, cisplatin, clarithromycin, clavulanate potassium, clomethiazole edisilate, clopidogrel hydrogensulfate, cyclophosphamide, chorionic gonadotropin (human); Dalteparin sodium, desloratadine, dexamethasone, doxorubicin, DPC-083; Efalizumab, efavirenz, enoxaparin sodium, eprosartan mesilate, etanercept, etoposide, ezetimibe; Faropenem daloxate, fenofibrate, fluocinolone acetonide, flutamide, fluvastatin sodium, follitropin beta, fondaparinux sodium; Gabapentin, glibenclamide, goserelin, granisetron hydrochloride; Haloperidol, hydrochlorothiazide; Imiquimod, interferon beta-1a, irbesartan, iseganan hydrochloride; L-758298, lamivudine, lanoteplase, leflunomide, leuprorelin acetate, loratadine, losartan potassium; Melagatran, metformin hydrochloride, methotrexate, metronidazole, micafungin sodium, mitoxantrone hydrochloride; Nelfinavir mesilate, neutral insulin injection, nizatidine; Olopatadine hydrochloride, omeprazole, ondansetron hydrochloride; Pamidronate sodium, paracetamol, paroxetine hydrochloride, perindopril, pimecrolimus, pioglitazone hydrochloride, piroxicam, pleconaril, pralmorelin, pravastatin sodium, prednisolone, prednisone, propofol; Raloxifene hydrochloride, ranpirnase, remifentanil hydrochloride, risedronate sodium, risperidone, rofecoxib, ropinirole hydrochloride, rosuvastatin calcium; Sevoflurane, sildenafil citrate, simvastatin, somatropin; Tacrolimus, tamoxifen citrate, telmisartan, temozolomide, thiopental sodium, tinzaparin sodium, tirofiban hydrochloride, treosulfan, triamcinolone acetonide; Urokinase; Valsartan, vardenafil, vincristine; Warfarin sodium; Ximelagatran; Zidovudine.

Clinical trials of benzamides in psychiatry

The utility of the benzamides in clinical psychiatry requires further evaluation. Of the four compounds mentioned in this chapter, it seems clear that sulpiride is an effective antipsychotic agent as shown by double-blind trials comparing it with placebo and reference antipsychotics (see Table I). Claimed efficacy for this agent in depression, anxiety, and school-phobia require more intensive evaluation. Sultopride has been reported to have efficacy in a variety of psychiatric syndromes, i.e., manic depressive illness and agitation associated with alcoholic syndromes. Tiapride has reported efficacy in a variety of alcoholic states, agitation associated with medical disease, and movement disorders. Unfortunately, all of the studies on both tiapride and sultopride have been open trials on which the results were based solely on the global clinical impression of the investigator. The total lack of formal diagnostic criteria, adequate study design, small sample size, heterogeneity of diagnosis, and questionable length of time for treatment of these disorders make it impossible to draw any firm conclusions at this time as to the efficacy toward any psychiatric disorder. Metoclopramide, on the other hand, may not only have possible antipsychotic efficacy based on one open study (62,63) but may provide an important clue as to the action of antipsychotics in general. More double-blind studies are indicated to assess its function in acute psychosis. The four compounds do seem to have properties similar to many of the classic antipsychotic agents in view of their common dopamine-blocking activity, antiemetic, sedative, and cataleptic effects. In addition, they have similar spectrum of side effects. Certain effects such as lack of efficacy in dopamine receptor models (for metoclopramide) and questionable differences in sites of action (blocking of dopamine and mesolimbic versus nigral striatal areas for sulpiride) may indicate unique neurochemical effects for these compounds and may provide a clue to allow the investigators to better predict antipsychotic efficacy and draw inferences regarding sites of action and mechanisms underlying neuroleptic activity. The benzamides have been used extensively in France since 1967. Before these drugs can be considered to be effective antipsychotic agents on par with phenothiazines and butyrophenones, further double-blind studies are indicated. These studies would give us a better idea as to whether they fit into the psychiatrist's armanentarium and may allow further insights into the relationship between descriptive psychopathology and neuropharmacology.

Gateways to clinical trials

Gateways to Clinical Trials is a guide to the most recent clinical trials in current literature and congresses, which has been retrieved from the Clinical Studies knowledge area of Prous Science Integrity, the world's first drug discovery and development portal, providing information on study design, treatments, conclusions and references. This issue focuses on the following selection of drugs: Abacavir sulfate; abciximab; abetimus sodium; adalimumab; aldesleukin; almotriptan; alteplase; amisulpride; amitriptyline hydrochloride; amoxicillin trihydrate; atenolol; atorvastatin calcium; atrasentan; Beclometasone dipropionate; bosentan; Captopril; ceftriaxone sodium; cerivastatin sodium; cetirizine hydrochloride; cisplatin; citalopram hydrobromide; Dalteparin sodium; darusentan; desirudin; digoxin; Efalizumab; enoxaparin sodium; ertapenem sodium; esomeprazole magnesium; estradiol; ezetimibe; Famotidine; farglitazar; fluorouracil; fluticasone propionate; fosamprenavir sodium; Glibenclamide; glucosamine sulfate; Heparin sodium; HSPPC-96; hydrochlorothiazide; Imatinib mesilate; implitapide; Lamivudine; lansoprazole; lisinopril; losartan potassium; l-Propionylcarnitine; Melagatran; metformin hydrochloride; methotrexate; methylsulfinylwarfarin; Nateglinide; norethisterone; Olmesartan medoxomil; omalizumab; omapatrilat; omeprazole; oseltamivir phosphate; oxatomide; Pantoprazole; piperacillin sodium; pravastatin sodium; Quetiapine hydrochloride; Rabeprazole sodium; raloxifene hydrochloride; ramosetron hydrochloride; ranolazine; rasburicase; reboxetine mesilate; recombinant somatropin; repaglinide; reteplase; rosiglitazone; rosiglitazone maleate; rosuvastatin calcium; Sertraline; simvastatin; sumatriptan succinate; Tazobactam sodium; tenecteplase; tibolone; tinidazole; tolterodine tartrate; troglitazone; Uniprost; Warfarin sodium; Ximelagatran.