Data for the analysis were from two Phases of the clinical trial, a double-blind, randomised, relapse-prevention maintenance phase that compared Invega Sustenna to placebo and a one-year open-label extension of the study, during which all patients were treated with Invega Sustenna.
Reportedly, the change in schizophrenia-related hospitalisation rates between the two Phases of the study was evaluated for the group of patients treated with Invega Sustenna and for the group that received placebo.
In the trial, patients in the randomised Invega Sustenna-to-open label Invega Sustenna group and 153 patients in the randomised placebo-to-open label Invega Sustenna group.
Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs consultant Chris Kozma said that the study suggests that Invega Sustenna may have potential to reduce psychiatric hospitalisation rates.
"While the results will need further investigation to confirm these observations, a treatment that can potentially lead to reduced hospitalisations for schizophrenia may offer economic benefits to health-care systems that pay for schizophrenia-related inpatient care," Kozma said.