Paliperidone extended release for the treatment of pediatric and adolescent patients with Tourette's disorder

OBJECTIVE A subgroup of patients with Tourette's disorder (TD) has symptoms refractory to haloperidol, a standard therapeutic drug for TD. METHODS We report on three cases of pediatric and adolescent patients who were treated with paliperidone extended release. RESULTS In two cases, TD symptoms were remarkably improved by switching from haloperidol to paliperidone extended release, and in another case, paliperidone extended release showed significant efficacy in treating TD symptoms as the first-line drug. In all cases, no significant adverse side effects were detected. CONCLUSION Paliperidone extended release may be a strong candidate for the treatment of pediatric and adolescent patients with TD.