Olanzapine/Samidorphan Combo Found to Reduce Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain

This study was sponsored by Alkermes, maker of samidorphan.Cristoph Correll, M.D., of the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and colleagues randomly assigned 561 adult patients with schizophrenia to receive 24 weeks of olanzapine/samidorphan (10mg/10mg daily in week 1, 20 mg/10 mg daily afterward) or olanzapine (10mg daily in week one, 20 mg daily afterwards). All the participants had a body mass index between 18 and 30 at baseline and reported weight stability of at least three months.After 24 weeks, the average medication-induced weight gain was 4.21% in the olanzapine/samidorphan group and 6.59% in the olanzapine group, respectively. “Not only were patients less likely to gain any weight with combined olanzapine/samidorphan, but also the risk of clinically significant weight gain (of ≥7% and of ≥10%) was reduced by 50% relative to olanzapine,” the authors wrote.Patients taking the combination therapy also had smaller increases in waistline circumference after 24 weeks compared with those taking olanzapine alone (2.36 cm vs. 4.47 cm). “Waist circumference is a proxy for central fat accumulation, and increases in waist circumference have been associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, even independently of weight,” the authors wrote.Despite the differences between the two groups in weight gain and waist circumference, there was no difference between the groups in measures of triglycerides, cholesterol, gl...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: ajp in advance Alkermes Cristoph Correll olanzapine samidorphan schizophrenia waistline circumference wait gain Source Type: research