NOVEL ANTIPSYCHOTIC ENABLES PATIENTS TO LEAD FULLER, MORE PRODUCTIVE
LIVES
TITUSVILLE, N.J., May 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Novel antipsychotic
medications are enabling people living with severe mental illness to work,
have meaningful social relationships, contribute to society and live more
productive lives. Nashville, Tennessee resident Louetta Hix is a living
example of the difference that proper treatment and medication can make
in
the life of a person battling mental illness.
For three years, Louetta Hix suffered from schizoaffective
disorder, a disorder in which patients suffer from symptoms of both
schizophrenia and affective disorders (formerly known as mood disorders).
Severe delusions led Louetta to believe she was being watched by drug
dealers, the FBI and the CIA. In her mind, these groups were urging her
to spend money, and as a result of these delusions Louetta ran up debts
of
$33,000. During this period, Louetta was declared legally insane and
hospitalized. Louetta was prescribed a variety of medications with little
or no success until she was given Risperdal(R) (risperidone). Risperdal
is
a novel antipsychotic medication prescribed for the treatment of psychotic
disorders such as schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia.
Today, Louetta, free of troubling delusions and hallucinations,
is the community coordinator for Friends Helping Friends, a social support
program for people with mental illness run by people with mental illness.
Active in her local community, she also serves as a co- coordinator of the
BRIDGES (Building Recovery of Individual Dreams and Goals through
Education and Support) program for people with mental illness. In her
spare time, Louetta performs with an acting group called the White Dove
Theater. The group uses comedy as a tool to address and increase
awareness of mental illness. "Risperdal has turned my life around and
given me a sense of purpose," says Louetta.
Louetta is one of many people with psychotic disorders whose
lives have been improved by Risperdal. According to the National
Prescription Audit from IMS America, Risperdal is the most prescribed
antipsychotic by psychiatrists. The number of new prescriptions written
by psychiatrists for Risperdal has exceeded the number written for
haloperidol during the past six months. For years, haloperidol, developed
by Janssen Pharmaceutica and introduced more than 40 years ago, had been
the antipsychotic market leader.
"A significant benefit of Risperdal is that it can be used to
treat a broad range of conditions," said David Daniel, M.D., Clinical
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington
University. "Psychotic disorders, including psychotic features associated
with bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia, can
be
effectively managed with Risperdal treatment."
Also developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica, Risperdal is the only
serotonin-dopamine antagonist (SDA) available for use as a first-line
option in the treatment of schizophrenia. Available since 1994, Risperdal
has an established safety and efficacy profile based on its use in over
1
million patients in the U.S.
"Every day I am touched by the letters and phone calls we
receive from patients whose lives have been turned around with the help
of
Risperdal," said Paulo Costa, president, Janssen Pharmaceutica. "We
are
committed to improving the lives of people living with psychiatric illness
and, to this end, are continuing to study Risperdal, as well as several
new compounds, for the treatment of various psychiatric conditions."
Janssen Pharmaceutica has companies in 32 countries and its U.S.
headquarters is located in Titusville, New Jersey.
CO: Janssen Pharmaceutica
ST: New Jersey
IN: MTC