Clozapine and risperidone: combination/augmentation treatment of refractory schizophrenia: a preliminary observation

Objective: Clozapine and risperidone were the first two antipsychotic drugs of a new class of agents for the pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia. It has been suggested that refractory schizophrenic patients who fail to respond to neither clozapine nor risperidone may respond to a combination/augmentation strategy of both medicaments. Method: Three cases of individuals with unremittent schizophrenia treated via this combination are presented. Response was evaluated by clinical follow-up and PANSS rating scale. Results: Good clinical results with no noticeable adverse side effects, ascertained by a reduction from baseline scores of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were obtained in all three patients. Conclusion: The findings from this pilot study suggest this combination as a possible therapeutic approach for treating resistant schizophrenic patients.