How often is Abilify Maintena given?

Abilify Maintena (aripiprazole) is injected into a muscle once a month. It is an extended-release medicine used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder in adults. It is only given by a healthcare provider in a doctor’s office or hospital.

Abilify Maintena is injected into the deltoid (upper arm) muscle or gluteal (buttock) muscle. It is only given into a muscle.

Receiving a long-acting injection like Abilify Maintena may be an advantage if you have trouble remembering to take a daily oral medicine.

The recommended starting and maintenance dose of Abilify Maintena is 400 mg monthly (no sooner than 26 days after the previous injection). Your doctor will adjust the dose as needed. Your dose may be reduced if you do not tolerate the medicine.

After your first injection of Abilify Maintena you should continue taking your current antipsychotic medicine for 2 weeks.

If you have never taken aripiprazole, you may need to take oral aripiprazole (tablet or liquid) for up to 2 weeks before starting treatment with Abilify Maintena injections. This will help to determine how well you can tolerate the medicine.

What is the most common side effect of Abilify Maintena?

In 12-week long studies conducted by the manufacturer, weight gain was reported as the most common side effect of Abilify Maintena when compared to a placebo (an inactive treatment). Out of 167 patients who received Abilify Maintena, 17% (28 people) reported weight gain. In the placebo group, 7% of 172 participants (12 people) experienced weight gain.

Other common side effects with Abilify Maintena include:

• akathisia, an inner sense of restlessness and need to move around (11% vs. 4% placebo)
• injection site pain (5% vs. 1% placebo)
• sedation or sleepiness (5% vs. 1% in placebo)
• constipation (10% vs. 7% placebo)

Bottom Line

• Abilify Maintena is injected into a muscle into your upper arm or buttock once a month. It is a long-acting medicine used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder in adults.
• It is only given by a healthcare provider in a doctor’s office or hospital.

This is not all the information you need to know about Abilify Maintena (aripiprazole) for safe and effective use. Review the full Abilify Maintena information here, and discuss this information and any questions with your doctor or other health care provider.