Cariprazine Augmentation in Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression: Data from a Retrospective Observational Study

Background: Treatment-resistant bipolar depression is one of the leading problems in psychiatry with serious consequences on patients functioning, quality of life and resource utilization. Despite this, there is a lack of consensus on diagnostic criteria and treatment algorithms. Objective: The objective of the present study is to assess the acute effectiveness and tolerability of cariprazine in the management of treatment resistant bipolar depression. Methods: This is a four weeks retrospective multicentric observational study on patients with treatment resistant bipolar depression receiving cariprazine in augmentation to the current treatment. Cariprazine dosage changed during the follow-up period according to clinical judgment. Since data followed a non-normal distribution, non-parametric tests were used to pursue the analysis. The effectiveness of cariprazine was assessed through the mean change in Hamilton Depression rating scale (HAM-D) scores from baseline to endpoint. For missing values, a “Last Observation Carried Forward” approach was applied. Results: Fifty-one patients were enrolled. Four patients (7.8%) discontinued cariprazine mainly due to adverse events. Mean cariprazine dose was 1.7 mg/day. The mean HAM-D score decreased significantly from baseline (T0) to week 4 (T4) at each evaluation point. Fourty-five one percent of the patients benefited of cariprazine add-on strategy: 23.5% achieved a clinical response and 21.6% were remitters. Among the completers, 70.6% experienced at least one adverse event. All side effects were mild to moderate. Conclusion: Cariprazine seems to be an effective and well tolerated option in the management of patients with treatment resistant bipolar depression.