Patient perspectives in the development and use of long-acting antipsychotics in schizophrenia: focus on olanzapine long-acting injection

Leslie Citrome

New York University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, and the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA

Abstract: Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder generally treated with antipsychotic medication. However, non-adherence and partial adherence to antipsychotic medication treatment is common and long-acting injectable “depot” preparations of antipsychotic medications have been used as an alternative to oral medication therapy for patients for whom adherence is a clinically significant problem, as well as for the sake of convenience and in response to patient preference. Olanzapine long-acting injection (OLAI) is a new treatment option and has been approved by several regulatory agencies for the treatment of schizophrenia. OLAI is a crystalline salt formulation of olanzapine and pamoic acid. Efficacy was established in 2 double-blind randomized clinical trials of OLAI for the treatment of acute schizophrenia and for the maintenance of response. The therapeutic OLAI dosages are 150 mg q2 weeks, 210 mg q2 weeks, 300 mg q2 weeks or q4 weeks, and 405 mg q4 weeks, administered by deep intramuscular gluteal injection with a 19-gauge needle. Injection volume ranges from 1 to 2.7 mL. OLAI has essentially the same general tolerability as that of oral olanzapine; however with the depot there is the additional risk of a post-injection delirium sedation syndrome occurring at a rate of 0.07% of injections, requiring a risk management plan that includes observing the patient for 3 hours post injection.

Keywords: adherence, antipsychotic, depot, long-acting, olanzapine pamoate, schizophrenia