Safety and efficacy of carbamazepine extended-release capsules in patients with bipolar disorder: QD vs BID.

BACKGROUND

Adherence to prescribed pharmacotherapy is an important factor in the success of a selected treatment regimen. Because the dosing frequency of a particular medication can affect adherence rates, this important aspect of treatment must be taken into account. This report presents results from a retrospective assessment of the charts of 23 patients who received once-daily (qd) carbamazepine extended-release capsules (CBZ-ERC) (Shire, Wayne, PA, USA) for the treatment of bipolar disorder.

METHODS

The assessment compared qd dosing of CBZ-ERC with twice-daily (bid) dosing by matching the charts of the 23 study subjects to those of 23 similar control patients who had been taking CBZ-ERC dosed bid.

RESULTS

In this study, no significant difference was observed in Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scores between the qd and bid groups. In addition, the percentage of responders (those whose CGI-I score were <or=3) was the same (83%) for both groups. Relapse rates and measures of safety and tolerability were also similar in the two treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that CBZ-ERC dosed qd is comparable in efficacy, safety, and tolerability to CBZ-ERC dosed bid for patients with bipolar disorder.