Study to Measure the Safety of Paliperidone ER (Extended-release) in Patients With Liver Disease

Patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder commonly have other conditions that may affect the liver, such as alcohol abuse and/or chronic liver infections (hepatitis). Although single-dose studies in patients with liver disease are conducted to test the safety of medications, there is less information about the safety of treatment with medications for schizophrenia in this at-risk population of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and liver disease. This 9-week study is open-label (both patient and investigators know what study drug and dose of study drug the patient is taking) and has 2 phases. During Phase 1, which lasts 4 weeks, patients will continue to take whatever medication they are already taking for schizophrenia (TAU, or treatment as usual). During the first week of Phase 2, patients will receive decreasing doses of TAU and increasing doses of paliperidone ER. For the rest of Phase 2, which lasts 4 more weeks, patients will take paliperidone ER in doses between 3 mg/day and 12 mg/day, as prescribed by the study doctor. This study will evaluate adverse events and will use several scales and tests to measure the effectiveness of paliperidone ER in patients with an established diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and liver disease. Study assessments include the PANSS (Positive and Negative Symptom Scale for Schizophrenia), CGI (Clinical Global Impression scale), MSQ (Medication Satisfaction Questionnaire), sleep VAS (Visual Analog Scale), SF-36 (Short Form 36 Health Survey), and PSP (Personal and Social Performance Scale). Each assessment will be performed at least two times during the course of the study, but some assessments will be done more frequently. Visits are scheduled every 1 to two weeks during the 9 week study.

The hypothesis is that paliperidone ER can be used safely in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who also have identified liver disease. During Phase 1 of the study, patients will continue to take whatever medication they are already taking for schizophrenia (TAU, or treatment as usual) for 4 weeks. For the first week of Phase 2, patients will receive decreasing doses of TAU. During Phase 2, patients will take paliperidone ER in doses between 3 milligrams per day and 12 milligrams per day by mouth for 5 weeks.

Inclusion criteria

• Women must be postmenopausal for at least 1 year, surgically sterile, abstinent, or agree to practice an effective method of birth control if they are sexually active before entry and throughout the study, and must also have a negative urine pregnancy test at Screening
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
• Must have identified current, stable liver disease (e.g., viral hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis)
• Child-Pugh class A or B (total score < 10)

Exclusion criteria

• Not able to swallow the study medication whole with the aid of water
• Not currently meeting criteria for any other Axis I diagnosis, including a DSM-IV diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
• Not using alcohol in the previous 2 weeks or meeting the DSM-IV criteria for substance abuse or dependence or alcohol abuse or dependence in the 6 months before study entry
• Not experiencing severe liver disease or an acute exacerbation of the underlying liver disease (Child-Pugh total score >=10)
• No evidence of severe hepatic decompensation within the previous 3 months, such as: ascites not controlled with diuretics, peritonitis, portal hypertension or gross hepatic encephalopathy (eg, somnolence, stupor, coma)