Paliperidone palmitate (Invega Sustenna – Ortho-McNeil Janssen) has been approved by the FDA as a once-monthly injection for acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia in adults. An extended-release oral formulation (Invega) has been available since 2006.1 Long-acting injections of antipsychotic drugs typically are used to treat patients who cannot adhere to an oral regimen.2,3 Paliperidone is the primary active metabolite of risperidone (Risperdal), which is also available as a long-acting (every 2 weeks) injection. It is unclear whether either risperidone or paliperidone is a better choice for long-term treatment of schizophrenia than a first-generation drug such as haloperidol, which can also be injected once a month and costs much less.4

1. Paliperidone (Invega) for schizophrenia. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2007; 49:21.

2. JC West et al. Use of depot antipsychotic medications for medication non-adherence in schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2008; 34:995.

3. D Hough et al. Safety and tolerability of deltoid and gluteal injections of paliperidone palmitate in schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2009; 33:1022.

4. Drugs for psychiatric disorders. Treat Guidel Med Lett 2006; 4:35.