Pharmacokinetic evaluation of the aripiprazole (once-monthly) injection for the treatment of bipolar disorder

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Bipolar disorder is a severe, chronic psychiatric disorder with a need for long-term treatment. Patient nonadherence is frequent and poses a major problem in maintenance therapy. Aripiprazole once-monthly long-acting injectable (AOM LAI) is a recently US Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment option for maintenance therapy that could be of great value.

Areas covered: This paper reviews the pharmacokinetic, efficacy and safety data for AOM LAI in bipolar disorder.

Expert opinion: AOM LAI is a safe and efficacious treatment option in the maintenance therapy of bipolar I disorder. However, further research is still needed to determine the position of AOM LAI relative to other available treatment options.

KEYWORDS:

• Antipsychotic
• aripiprazole
• bipolar disorder
• long-acting injectable
• LAI

Declaration of interest

M Morrens has received grants from Bristol-Myers, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Lundbeck. B Sabbe has received consultancy fees from Takeda, Bristol-Myers, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Lundbeck. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.