Lurasidone Improves Function in Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Toronto, Ontario, Canada—Lurasidone has been proven effective in patients with autism spectrum disorder. This outcome of a retrospective chart review of the drug in seven patients from a developmental disability clinic was presented at the 168th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association from May 16 – 19.

Aadhar Patil, MD, of St. Lukes/Roosevelt Hospital, New York, explained that his group’s report is the first on the use of lurasidone, a second-generation orally administered atypical antipsychotic, in patients with autism spectrum disorder. Risperidone and aripiprazole have been studied in developmentally disabled and autistic patients and are approved for irritability associated with autism, but studies of newer agents are limited.

Dr Patil and colleagues studied seven patients with autism spectrum disorder from their developmental disability clinic, all who had concomitant intellectual disability and severe behavioral issues characterized by aggression, impulsivity, and self-injurious behavior. One case was comorbid with cerebral palsy and one with seizure disorder. The sample included one female and six male cases. Mean patient age was 20 (range, 11 – 27) years. Mean length of time on lurasidone was 9.7 (range, 2 – 34) months.

Mean titrated total daily dose was 29 (range, 10 – 60) mg. Cases were reviewed for Clinical Global Impression Severity Scale (CGIS) score before initiating lurasidone and Clinical Global Impression Improvement (SCII) Scale score and Clinical Global Impression Efficacy Scale (CGIE) score after initiating lurasidone. Mean CGIS was 5.4 (range, 5 – 6), which correlates with severe illness, and mean CGII of the sample was 2.9 (range 2 – 4), which correlates with minimal improvement.

Two patients were much improved, four minimally improved, and one unchanged after clinical review by a board-certified psychiatrist. A similar pattern arose using the CGI-E. Mean CGIE score was 2.4 (range, 1 – 4), which correlates with minimal to moderate therapeutic efficacy. One patient showed no improvement, three minimal efficacy of the drug, two moderate efficacy, and one marked efficacy. Overall, 86% of patients treated with lurasidone showed improvement in clinical function.

Dr Patil concluded that lurasidone may function as an alternative compound for impulsivity, aggression, and self-injurious behavior in patients with autism spectrum disorder who have failed approved compounds.

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