Background: The incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) has been shown to be generally low among patients with schizophrenia receiving oral olanzapine. A long-acting injection (LAI) of olanzapine has recently been approved for the treatment of schizophrenia in a number of countries. Accordingly, the objective of the current analyses was to compare the incidences of EPS during treatment with olanzapine LAI versus oral olanzapine.
Methods: The incidences of treatment-emergent EPS were examined in adults with schizophrenia receiving olanzapine LAI or oral olanzapine for up to 3 years. Short-term data were obtained from two double-blind studies of olanzapine LAI: one included a placebo comparator, and the other included oral olanzapine as an active comparator. Long-term data were obtained from an open-label extension study for olanzapine LAI and from an integrated database for oral olanzapine.
Results: The short-term incidence of EPS was 5.6% during treatment with olanzapine LAI (45-405 mg every 2-4 weeks) and 5.0% with oral olanzapine (5-20 mg/day). Akathisia (2.6% LAI, 1.2% oral), and Parkinson-like symptoms (1.8% LAI, 3.7% oral) were similar between treatment groups. The incidence of EPS for long-term treatment was 9.2% for olanzapine LAI. Incidences of EPS events were not significantly different between patients receiving olanzapine LAI or oral olanzapine for up to 3 years.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that EPS profiles are similar for olanzapine LAI and oral olanzapine.
Keywords: Drug Therapy; Extrapyramidal Symptoms; Olanzapine; Safety; Schizophrenia; Tolerability.