Eighty-three acutely disturbed, psychotic patients were included in an open multicentre study. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical effect of zuclopenthixol acetate in Viscoleo (CPT-A). Each patient received from one to four intramuscular injections of CPT-A during the 6-day study period. The duration of action after one injection was between 2 and 3 days and doses from 50 mg to 150 mg were sufficient for most patients. Treatment with CPT-A caused a pronounced and rapid reduction of the psychotic symptoms. At the end of the 6-day test period the mean total score on BPRS in acute non-manic and exacerbated chronic patients was reduced by more than 50 per cent. In acute manic patients the mean total score on BRMS was reduced by 57 per cent already 1 day after injection. Rapidly after the injection of CPT-A a useful short-acting sedation can be expected, but the risk for oversedation even after a second injection is low. The frequency of unwanted effects, including extrapyramidal reactions, was low and the severity of symptoms was most often mild. With a rapid onset of action, a duration of effect of 2 to 3 days, and few and mild side effects, CPT-A offers advantages over the neuroleptic preparations conventionally used in the initial treatment of acutely disturbed, psychotic patients.

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Ninety‐two patients with schizophrenia were included in a double‐blind multicentre parallel‐group trial comparing remoxipride and haloperidol. The mean daily dose during the last week of treatment was 316 mg (range, 150–600 mg) in the remoxipride group and 8.7 mg (range, 5–20 mg) in the haloperidol group. The study period was six weeks with at least one day of washout. Both Clinical Global Impression (CGI) rating, and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) total scores declined at the end of the trial compared with pretreatment values in both groups. No significant differences were found between the remoxipride and haloperidol groups with regard to the treatment outcome. Treatment‐emergent extrapyramidal symptoms were statistically more frequent and more severe during haloperidol than during remoxipride treatment. Haloperidol‐treated patients reported also significantly more concentration difficulties. Severe extrapyramidal side effects in the haloperidol group and clinical ineffectiveness in the remoxipride group were the most frequent reasons for premature discontinuation of treatment.

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