Schizophrenia: New depot brings hope for patients in Vienna!

Schizophrenia: New depot brings hope for patients in Vienna!

In Austria, around 90,000 people suffer from schizophrenia, a complex mental illness that often occurs in young adulthood. The symptoms range from delusions to hallucinations to persecutory fears, which greatly distort the reality of those affected. According to the Viennese pharmaceutical company Lundbeck, the irregular use of medication can lead to significant relapses, as many patients do not have the necessary insight into their illness and therefore often do not take their medication. Prim. Dr. Georg Psota, chief physician of psychosocial services in Vienna, explains that depot preparations in particular could offer a solution. “These relieve the burden on patients because they avoid the daily decision about taking medication,” he emphasizes in a report by 5min.at.

Depot antipsychotics enable constant drug delivery over a longer period of time, which improves treatment adherence. A newest treatment option is a long-acting depot antipsychotic, which has been available for about a year. This innovative formulation enables rapid and stable release of the active ingredient risperidone over four weeks. Dr. Thomas Aubel from the Essen-Mitte Clinics emphasizes that without an initial oral administration, therapeutic drug concentrations can be achieved within just two hours after the injection. Such depot preparations could not only increase patient compliance, but also significantly reduce the risk of recurrences and hospitalizations, as reported in the Ärzteblatt.

Advantages of depot preparations

The depot antipsychotics significantly improve the quality of life of patients because they increase autonomy. In addition, there is no need for frequent visits to the doctor and checking medication intake. According to Dr. According to Dr. Simon Kurzhals, these preparations are particularly beneficial for patients who switch to outpatient care after acute treatment, as they maintain medication stability. In the PRISMA-3 study, significant improvements in symptoms were seen after just eight days with Risperidone ISM®. The tolerability of this new therapy option also proves to be advantageous, with less severe side effects than with conventional oral therapies. This could represent a decisive step towards a better quality of life for many patients.