Penfluridol: An Efficacious Long-Acting Oral Antipsychotic Compound
DONALD M. GALLANT M.D.1,
DAVID H. MIELKE M.D.2,
MORRIS A. SPIRTES M.D.3,
WILLIAM C. SWANSON PH.D.4, , and
ROBERT BOST PH.D.5
1 Professor of Psychiatry and Principal Investigator, Psychopharmacology Research Program, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, La. 70112
2 Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Coinvestigator, Psychopharmacology Research Program, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, La. 70112
3 Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, La. 70112
4 Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, La. 70112
5 Associate Member, Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, La. 70112
A six-month evaluation of penfluridol, a long-acting oral preparation, was conducted with 50 severely ill schizophrenic patients. After an initial three-month stabiization period, the patients were divided into two equal groups and a double-blind evaluation of penfluridol versus placebo was conducted. The results of this study indicate that weekly administration of penfluridol (one oral dose) provides relatively safe and adequate control of severely ill schizophrenic patients and displays efficacy similar to that of the shorter-acting antipsychotic agents. If these results are confirmed by other clinical investigators, this medication may prove to be of invaluable help in maintaining the schizophrenic patient in his community.
