Benefits of IM olanzapine shown
An intramuscular (IM) formulation of the atypical
antipsychotic olanzapine could soon be an option for the treatment of
acute mania in schizophrenia.
Results reported at the 7th World Congress of Biological
Psychiatry in Berlin earlier this month showed that IM olanzapine can
stabilise mood effectively without risk of dystonia.
In a study of 270 acutely agitated patients with
schizophrenia, 5–10mg IM olanzapine reduced agitation without dystonia
at 30 minutes following injection. The alleviation of acute agitation
by IM olanzapine, but not IM haloperidol, was sustained at 24 hours (P<0.05).
IM olanzapine has also shown positive results in
reducing agitation in patients with bipolar disorder.
A study comprising 201 acutely agitated patients
with bipolar disorder showed the drug was more effective at reducing levels
of agitation compared with IM lorazepam two hours after injection.
Manufacturer Eli Lilly said IM olanzapine for schizophrenia
could be approved in the United Kingdom by the end of the year. It is
also seeking regulatory approval for the use of olanzapine in treating
bipolar disorder.
Professor Guy Goodwin, W A Handley chair in psychiatry
at Oxford University, said IM olanzapine provided a rapid and safe treatment
to reduce acute mania.
— Contributed
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