11th July 2000, Brussels -- Treatment with the newer antipsychotic medication Risperdal® (risperidone) for patients with schizophrenia could have the potential to save millions of dollars from healthcare budgets across the world, according to a major new study presented at the Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum (CINP) meeting in Belgium.
The study evaluated the cost-effectiveness (1,901 patients, 61 centres, 9 countries) of newer treatments for schizophrenia and showed that treating patients with schizophrenia with Risperdal, versus olanzapine, resulted in a saving of $2.80 US per patient per day1. This corresponds to a saving of $1,022 US per patient per year ($2.80 X 365 days).
Schizophrenia is a common serious mental illness. It is estimated that one person in every 100 worldwide will develop schizophrenia by the age of 45, with men and women equally at risk2.
Dr Koen Torfs, Head of Health Economics and Outcomes Research at Janssen Pharmaceutica explained, "We already know that the newer medicines for schizophrenia are both more cost-effective and have fewer side effects than older medicines, this can in turn encourage patients to stay on therapy long-term. However, this new study adds further knowledge to our understanding about the cost-effectiveness between the newer therapies for schizophrenia and the possible impacts they may have on healthcare budgets around the world".
Studies directly comparing the cost effectiveness between the new schizophrenia treatments are vital to justify modern prescribing decisions. "This new data from the RODOS study1 now answers long-standing questions about the differences in cost and effectiveness between these new treatments, and provides doctors and healthcare providers with the evidence they need to ensure cost-effective prescribing for schizophrenia", said Professor Siegfried Kasper MD, Professor and Chairman, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Vienna.
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Contact: Tamsin Page
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Ketchum
10-Jul-2000