6-week Trial of the Efficacy and Safety of Asenapine Compared to Placebo in Subjects With an Acute Exacerbation of Schizophrenia (Study P06124 AM3)

Inclusion Criteria:

• current diagnosis of schizophrenia of paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, or undifferentiated (295.90) subtype
• minimum PANSS total score of 60 at screening and Baseline.
• participant had a score of at least 4 in two or more of 5 items in the positive subscale of the PANSS at Screening and Baseline.

• participant confirmed by the investigator to be experiencing an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia as evidenced by ALL of the following:

  • at the screening test, the duration of the current episode was no more than 2 months;
  • current symptoms represented a dramatic and substantial change compared to the subject's symptomatic state prior to the emergence of the current episode;
  • participant was in need of changing medication or dosage to treat newly appeared or worsened positive symptoms.
• participant had a Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) scale score of at least 4 (moderately ill) at Baseline;
• responded positively to an antipsychotic medication in a prior episode.
• discontinued the use of all prohibited concomitant medications, with last dose taken no later than the evening prior to the baseline visit (For depot neuroleptic, discontinuation must have occurred more than 3 months prior to randomization).
• participants must agree to inpatient status for screening period and for up to 42 days of dosing and, for out-patient phase, had a caregiver or an identified responsible person (e.g., family member, social worker, case worker, or nurse) whom the investigator accepts and who has agreed to provide support to the subject to ensure compliance with study treatment, outpatient visits, and protocol procedures.

Exclusion Criteria:

• not be treatment-refractory defined by the following criteria: (1) had been treated with at least two different atypical anti-psychotic agents at dosages equivalent to or greater than 600 mg/day of chlorpromazine (12 mg /day of haloperidol) for more than 4 weeks, each without clinical response, or (2) has received clozapine for 12 weeks immediately preceding the screening.
• not have received treatment with 3 or more antipsychotic drugs, or dose-equivalents higher than 18 mg/day of haloperidol (equivalent 900 mg/day of chlorpromazine) within one month prior to randomization.
• not have a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder; schizophrenia of residual subtype; schizophreniform disorder, or schizophrenia with course specifiers continuous, single episode in partial remission, or single episode in full remission
• not have a concurrent psychiatric disorder other than schizophrenia coded on Axis I; not have a primary diagnosis other than schizophrenia
• not have had a known diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, mental retardation or organic brain disorder.
• not have a 20% or greater decrease in PANSS total score from screening to baseline
• not have an imminent risk of self-harm or harm to others, in the investigator's opinion.
• not have a substance induced psychotic disorder or a behavioral disturbance thought to be due to substance abuse
• not be currently under involuntary inpatient confinement.
• not been previously treated with asenapine.