What should clinicians know about Uzedy (risperidone subcutaneous LAI)?

Uzedy is a long-acting injectable (LAI) formulation of risperidone.  It is administered subcutaneously (rather than intramuscularly).  Subcutaneous injections are given under the skin using shorter and smaller gauge needles.  Intramuscular injections are given deeper into muscular tissue using longer and larger gauge  needles.  Uzedy is FDA-indicated to treat adults with schizophrenia.  It can be given every 4 or 8 weeks.

Establishing tolerability

• Prior to initiating Uzedy, establish tolerability with oral risperidone in risperidone-naïve patients.
• First injection can either be every 4 or 8 weeks

Dosing

• Available as prefilled syringes of the following doses:
  • 50 mg/0.14 mL
  • 75 mg/0.21 mL
  • 100 mg/0.28 mL
  • 125 mg/0.35 mL
  • 150 mg/0.42 mL
  • 200 mg/0.56 mL
  • 250 mg/0.7 mL

    Dose Conversion of Oral Risperidone to Uzedy™
    Oral Dose	Uzedy Dosage Once Monthly	Uzedy Dosage Once Every 2 Months
    2 mg daily of risperidone	50 mg	100 mg
    3 mg daily of risperidone	75 mg	150 mg
    4 mg daily of risperidone	100 mg	200 mg
    5 mg daily of risperidone	125 mg	250 mg
    Reference: Teva Neuroscience, Inc. (2023). Uzedy prescribing information.

• Patients who are stable on oral risperidone doses lower than 2 mg/day or higher than 5 mg/day may not be candidates for Uzedy.
• No loading dose or oral supplementation recommended.  The medication provides a quick initial release.
• When a dose of Uzedy is missed, administer the next Uzedy injection as soon as possible. See this tip for more information.

Practical Issues (including administration)

• Product will ship as a solid, which requires refrigeration. May store for up to 90 days in its unopened original packaging at room temperature.
• Must be left at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to injection.
• The prefilled syringe needs to be flicked with a forceful downward whipping motion of your full arm to move the bubble to the cap of the syringe. Standing while flicking may help achieve the required force. The bubble will appear opaque.   Holding the syringe up to a light or against a dark backdrop may improve visibility.   If the bubble is not in the cap, it could result in incomplete dosage administration.
• Must be administered in the abdomen or upper arm as a subcutaneous injection.

FDA medication label

• Information on this topic is found in the FDA medication label.
• Medication labels can be found by searching Drugs@FDA at the FDA website. Labels are also available using the Drugs@FDA app for Apple or Android devices. Labels change over time, and the current label should always be consulted.

If you would like more information on this topic, or would like to provide any feedback, please send us a message using our consultation system. Be sure to let us know about which tip you are writing. We would love to hear from you, and the consultation system is free to use and confidential. Thank you!