Penfluridol: An Efficacious Long-Acting Oral Antipsychotic Compound

A six-month evaluation of penfluridol, a long-acting oral preparation, was conducted with 50 severely ill schizophrenic patients. After an initial three-month stabiization period, the patients were divided into two equal groups and a double-blind evaluation of penfluridol versus placebo was conducted. The results of this study indicate that weekly administration of penfluridol (one oral dose) provides relatively safe and adequate control of severely ill schizophrenic patients and displays efficacy similar to that of the shorter-acting antipsychotic agents. If these results are confirmed by other clinical investigators, this medication may prove to be of invaluable help in maintaining the schizophrenic patient in his community.