Lurasidone Monotherapy in the Treatment of Bipolar I Depression: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Objective

The authors evaluated the efficacy and safety of lurasidone in the treatment of patients with major depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder.

Method

Patients were randomly assigned to receive double-blind treatment with lurasidone (20–60 mg/day [N=166] or 80–120 mg/day [N=169]) or placebo (N=170) for 6 weeks. Primary and key secondary endpoints were change from baseline to week 6 on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and depression severity score on the Clinical Global Impressions scale for use in bipolar illness (CGI-BP), respectively.

Results

Lurasidone treatment significantly reduced mean MADRS total scores at week 6 for both the 20–60 mg/day group (−15.4; effect size=0.51) and the 80–120 mg/day group (−15.4; effect size=0.51) compared with placebo (−10.7). Similarly, lurasidone treatment resulted in significantly greater endpoint reduction in CGI-BP depression severity scores for both the 20–60 mg/day group (−1.8; effect size=0.61) and the 80–120 mg/day group (−1.7; effect size=0.50) compared with placebo (−1.1). Both lurasidone groups also experienced significant improvements compared with placebo in anxiety symptoms and in patient-reported measures of quality of life and functional impairment. Discontinuation rates due to adverse events were similar in the 20–60 mg/day (6.6%), 80–120 mg/day (5.9%), and placebo (6.5%) groups. The most frequent adverse events associated with lurasidone were nausea, headache, akathisia, and somnolence. Minimal changes in weight, lipids, and measures of glycemic control were observed with lurasidone.

Conclusion

Monotherapy with lurasidone in the dosage range of 20–120 mg/day significantly reduced depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar I depression. Lurasidone was well tolerated, with few changes in weight or metabolic parameters.