There’s a new treatment option for Canadians with schizophrenia: Abilify (aripiprazole) is now available in Canada.

For those living with this lifelong disease, who may be struggling with a treatment that doesn’t work for them or with side effects that are difficult to tolerate, Abilify offers efficacy, good safety, and tolerability with limited impact on weight, blood sugar, and lipids—significant clinical benefits that may help patients stay on treatment longer.

“Schizophrenia is a complex disease that is often challenging to treat. As a physician, the main challenge I face is that patients stop taking their medications and relapse,” says Dr. Ruth Baruch, a psychiatrist and director of the community program at Toronto East General Hospital. “Weight gain is particularly important; two-thirds of patients will stop taking their medication because of weight gain. Numerous studies have indicated that Abilify has the advantage of causing fewer long-term side effects such as lower weight gain and less increase in cholesterol. Where I think this will translate in the real world is in improving adherence and patients will be more likely to stay on medication in the long-term.”

Abilify is the latest medication in Canada to treat schizophrenia. It has not only been shown to improve day-to-day functioning and lessen social withdrawal, but clinical studies also show it does so with less impact on patient weight or other metabolic factors such as cholesterol, lipids, and blood sugar levels. It is effective in improving a range of so-called “positive” symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations and delusions, as well as the “negative” symptoms of the disease, such as lack of motivation and emotional withdrawal that prevent many people with schizophrenia from leading fulfilling lives.

Abilify is an atypical antipsychotic medication and is available by prescription only. It has been approved by Health Canada for the treatment of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders in adults. It is also indicated for the acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes in bipolar I disorder in adults, alone or in combination with lithium or divalproex sodium.