The efficacy of zotepine in treating acute negative symptoms of schizophrenia: The results of a meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION: Zotepine is a unique antipsychotic drug, having effects which are both antiserotonergic and antidopaminergic that may make it more effective in the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia than more conventional agents. METHOD: A meta-analysis was performed on the effect of zotepine on the negative symptoms in seven double-blind studies, as measured by the SANS scale. RESULTS: Of the trials selected for this meta-analysis, one showed significant improvement in acute negative symptoms in favour of zotepine. Negative symptoms measured in the other trials showed trends in favour of zotepine, except for one study where the trend was in favour of perazine. The meta-analysis showed zotepine to be significantly better then either placebo or conventional antipsychotic comparators using the standardized treatment difference methodology, and it confirmed the results from a previous study using patients with predominantly negative symptoms. CONCLUSION: Zotepine may have a place in the treatment of this group of patients where conventional antipsychotic drugs have had little effect. ( Int J Psych Clin Pract 2000; 4: 209 - 214)