Quality-adjusted life year difference in patients with predominant negative symptoms of schizophrenia treated with cariprazine and risperidone.

Aim: Our study aimed at estimating differences in quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gain for patients with predominant negative symptoms of schizophrenia treated with cariprazine compared with risperidone. Materials & methods: A Markov model was built, based on the Mohr-Lenert approach and data derived from clinical trials, to estimate potential QALY gains of patients. Results: Patients had higher probability of reaching better health states treated with cariprazine compared with risperidone. In the model, this resulted in an estimated QALY gain of 0.029 per patient, after 1 year of treatment. Conclusion: Cariprazine, which showed clinically meaningful improvement in the symptoms, and personal and social performance, can also provide significant QALY gain in the treatment of patients with predominant negative symptoms of schizophrenia compared with risperidone.