Long-term safety and tolerability of open-label aripiprazole augmentation of antidepressant therapy in major depressive disorder

Robert M Berman1, Michael E Thase2, Madhukar H Trivedi3, James A Hazel4, Sabrina Vogel Marler5, Robert D McQuade6, William Carson7, Ross A Baker8, Ronald N Marcus91Neuroscience Global Clinical Research Bristol-Myers Squibb, Wallingford, CT, USA; 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 3Division of Mood Disorders Research Program and Clinic, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, USA; 4Neuroscience Global Clinical Research, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Wallingford, CT, USA; 5Global Biometric Sciences, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Wallingford, CT, USA; 6Global Medical Affairs at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA; 7Global Clinical Development, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development and Commercialization Inc, Princeton, NJ, USA; 8Neuroscience Medical Strategy, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Plainsboro, NJ, USA; 9Neuroscience Global Clinical Research, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Wallingford, CT, USABackground: Effective management of major depressive disorder often includes the long-term use of multiple medications, and the longer-term utility and safety of adjunctive aripiprazole has not been evaluated in a controlled setting.Patients and methods: Patients (n = 706) completing one of two 14-week double-blind studies of aripiprazole augmentation, as well as de novo patients (n = 296) nonresponsive to current antidepressant therapy, were enrolled in this open-label study. Patients received open-label aripiprazole for up to 52 weeks.Results: Open-label treatment was completed by 323 patients (32.2%). At endpoint (n = 987), the mean dose of aripiprazole was 10.1 mg/day. Common (>15% of patients) spontaneously reported adverse events were akathisia (26.2%), fatigue (18.0%), and weight gain (17.1%). The incidence of serious adverse events was 4.0%. Four spontaneous reports of possible tardive dyskinesia were submitted (0.4%); all resolved within 45 days of drug discontinuation. Mean weight change was 4.4 kg; 36.6% experienced ≥7% increase in weight from baseline (observed case analysis, n = 303). No clinically relevant changes in other metabolic parameters were seen. At the end of open-label treatment, 221 patients (69.7%) had a Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness score of 1 (not at all ill) or 2 (borderline ill).Conclusion: Long-term adjunctive aripiprazole therapy was well tolerated with an acceptable long-term safety and tolerability profile in patients with major depressive disorder who had not responded to treatment with one or more antidepressant th