Clozapine

Two FDA committees overwhelmingly voted to strike down monitoring requirements under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, program for clozapine, a medication for individuals with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.

Antipsychotics differed in their efficacy in preventing relapse hospitalization and treatment failure among patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, according to research published in JAMA Network Open.

The FDA can require a safety program called a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, for a medication with serious safety concerns to ensure the benefits outweigh the risks. An REMS is designed to reinforce behaviors and actions that support safe use of that medication to mitigate a specific risk.

Researchers reported differences in antipsychotic treatment discontinuation among veterans with schizophrenia in an observational study published in American Journal of Psychiatry.

Clozapine appeared to be the optimal treatment for violent schizophrenia patients with conduct disorder, according to study results published in American Journal of Psychiatry.

Mental health professionals can implement specific practices in routine clinical care to effectively prescribe clozapine for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, according to a presenter at the American Psychiatric Nurses Annual Conference.

Differences in adverse events were more marked than differences in efficacy when comparing 32 different antipsychotics, according to findings from a large network meta-analysis published in The Lancet.