Long-term efficacy and safety comparison of sertindole and haloperidol in the treatment of schizophrenia. The Sertindole Study Group.

Sertindole is an atypical antipsychotic that is efficacious in schizophrenia and is associated infrequently with extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS). This study assessed time to treatment failure with 24 mg/day sertindole or 10 mg/day haloperidol in 282 clinically stable neuroleptic-responsive outpatients with schizophrenia. During a 5-week transition period, patients were randomized to treatment with sertindole or haloperidol; other treatments were gradually discontinued. Patients then received treatment through Day 365. Time to treatment failure was numerically superior in sertindole-treated patients compared with haloperidol-treated patients, although this difference was not statistically significant. Sertindole-treated patients, however, remained free of hospitalization for exacerbation of schizophrenia and remained medically compliant significantly longer than did haloperidol-treated patients. In addition, there were significantly fewer reports of EPS in sertindole-treated patients and sertindole therapy was generally well tolerated. Patients transitioned well from other antipsychotic agents to sertindole. Sertindole appears to be an effective long-term treatment for schizophrenia.