OBJECTIVES: Schizophrenia is marked by a characteristic interference pattern of various psychological areas such as perception, ego-function, affectivity and psychomotricity. Thus, the objective of this economic analysis is the evaluation of the cost saving potential through the use of Paliperidone Palmitate compared to Risperidon Depot. METHODS: The pharmaeconomic evaluation was performed using a cost-minimization analysis, in which the above mentioned therapeutic alternatives with equal effectiveness and efficiency are compared based on the net costs to determine the most cost-effective alternative. The equivalence of the comparators was confirmed in the study of Pandina et al. (2011). Clinical data derived from this 13-week, double-blind "head-to-head" study. The time horizon is 2-years. RESULTS: From the perspective of the health insurance, the average costs of the therapy algorithm of Paliperidone Palmitate amount to €5,024.02 for the first year of treatment. A patient treated with Risperidone Depot is causing costs of €4,750.63. If the patient is treated with Paliperidone Palmitate as a first-line treatment in the following year, costs of €4,222.32 arise. In case of a treatment with Risperidone Depot costs amount to €4,594.76 EUR. If a patient is treated with Paliperidone Palmitate throughout the period under observation, the discounted total costs for 2-years amount to €9,247.02. Treatment with Risperidone Depot is causing costs of €9,345.40, resulting in a cost advantage for Paliperidone Palmitate compared to Risperidone Depot of €98.37 for the period of two years. Observing the costs over a time horizon of five years, a treatment with Paliperidone Palmitate is causing costs in the amount of 20,008.15 EUR. For the same period, a treatment with Risperidone Depot is causing costs of €20,851.47. CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of schizophrenia, Paliperidone Palmitate is a cost-effective alternative therapy. Additionally, the sensitivity analysis shows that the analysis is, with the exception of doctor consultations, robust.