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| |  Seroquel Tablets Preferred Antipsychotic Treatment GLASGOW, SCOTLAND -- July 14, 1998 -- Patients on antipsychotic medication have a very high rate of satisfaction with, and acceptability of, Seroquel(R) (quetiapine fumarate) tablets, the most recent entrant in the atypical antipsychotic market, according to study results announced today at the 21st congress of the Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum, Glasgow, Scotland. Amir Kalali, M.D., assistant clinical professor, University of California at Irvine, led a pilot study of 30 patients to assess patients' subjective experience of and satisfaction with Seroquel. Eighty-seven percent of patients were satisfied with their experience with Seroquel and 83 percent preferred Seroquel to all of their previous medications. In addition, the incidence of subjectively noted side effects was remarkably low, with 47 percent reporting no side effects. These results led to the undertaking of a larger, multinational study that confirmed the findings of the pilot study. Of the patients studied in the multinational survey (totalling 129 patients -- 69 males and 60 females, aged 18 to 91, representing 12 countries), 97 percent reported that they preferred Seroquel to previous medications and 98 percent indicated they would like to continue with Seroquel. Seventy-six percent of patients, all who had been on Seroquel for at least six months, were very or extremely satisfied with their treatment. The most common reasons patients indicated that they liked Seroquel was because it causes fewer side effects and because it helped them to relax and feel better in general, including finding it easier to sleep, socialise with family and friends and live more normally. The majority of patients said they felt more in control of their thoughts and actions, had a more positive outlook and felt more confident and less depressed. The incidence of subjectively reported side effects was very low; 74 percent of patients reported no side effects and 23 percent reported only mild side effects. Sixty-seven percent said they disliked nothing about Seroquel. "This research suggests that patients not only value the efficacy and tolerability benefits of Seroquel, but also its long-term impact on their quality of life," Dr. Kalali said. "This is very important, as the treatment outcomes in schizophrenia are heavily dependent on the compliance with their therapy." The study was comprised of a seven item questionnaire, designed to investigate patients' satisfaction with, and acceptability of, long-term treatment. Patients all had a history of serious mental illness and had been on open label trials of Seroquel for at least six months. High patient satisfaction with a medication may enhance compliance and, thereby, clinical outcome. In turn, this can affect patients' quality of life and may lead to reduced health care expenditure. This is particularly important in chronic diseases like schizophrenia for which there is no cure, where patients must undergo long-term therapy. Seroquel has demonstrated efficacy in treating the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and was no different from placebo across the clinical dose range in the incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), including rigidity, shaking and difficulty starting and stopping movement, or elevation of plasma prolactin levels. In addition, studies have shown that Seroquel exhibits a low incidence of hormonal, reproductive (sexual dysfunction) and anticholinergic side effects (dry mouth, constipation).
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