Zyprexa (Page 2 of 14)

2.2 Bipolar I Disorder (Manic or Mixed Episodes)

Adults

Dose Selection for Monotherapy — Oral olanzapine should be administered on a once-a-day schedule without regard to meals, generally beginning with 10 or 15 mg. Dosage adjustments, if indicated, should generally occur at intervals of not less than 24 hours, reflecting the procedures in the placebo-controlled trials. When dosage adjustments are necessary, dose increments/decrements of 5 mg QD are recommended.

Short-term (3-4 weeks) antimanic efficacy was demonstrated in a dose range of 5 mg to 20 mg/day in clinical trials. The safety of doses above 20 mg/day has not been evaluated in clinical trials [see Clinical Studies (14.2)].

Maintenance Monotherapy — The benefit of maintaining bipolar I patients on monotherapy with oral ZYPREXA at a dose of 5 to 20 mg/day, after achieving a responder status for an average duration of 2 weeks, was demonstrated in a controlled trial [see Clinical Studies (14.2)]. The physician who elects to use ZYPREXA for extended periods should periodically reevaluate the long-term usefulness of the drug for the individual patient.

Dose Selection for Adjunctive Treatment — When administered as adjunctive treatment to lithium or valproate, oral olanzapine dosing should generally begin with 10 mg once-a-day without regard to meals.

Antimanic efficacy was demonstrated in a dose range of 5 mg to 20 mg/day in clinical trials [see Clinical Studies (14.2)]. The safety of doses above 20 mg/day has not been evaluated in clinical trials.

Adolescents

Dose Selection — Oral olanzapine should be administered on a once-a-day schedule without regard to meals with a recommended starting dose of 2.5 or 5 mg, with a target dose of 10 mg/day. Efficacy in adolescents with bipolar I disorder (manic or mixed episodes) was demonstrated based on a flexible dose range of 2.5 to 20 mg/day in clinical trials, with a mean modal dose of 10.7 mg/day (mean dose of 8.9 mg/day). When dosage adjustments are necessary, dose increments/decrements of 2.5 or 5 mg are recommended.

The safety and effectiveness of doses above 20 mg/day have not been evaluated in clinical trials [see Clinical Studies (14.2)].

Maintenance Treatment — The efficacy of ZYPREXA for the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder in the adolescent population has not been evaluated; however, maintenance efficacy can be extrapolated from adult data along with comparisons of olanzapine pharmacokinetic parameters in adult and adolescent patients. Thus, it is generally recommended that responding patients be continued beyond the acute response, but at the lowest dose needed to maintain remission. Patients should be periodically reassessed to determine the need for maintenance treatment.

2.3 Administration of ZYPREXA ZYDIS (olanzapine orally disintegrating tablets)

After opening sachet, peel back foil on blister. Do not push tablet through foil. Immediately upon opening the blister, using dry hands, remove tablet and place entire ZYPREXA ZYDIS in the mouth. Tablet disintegration occurs rapidly in saliva so it can be easily swallowed with or without liquid.

2.4 ZYPREXA IntraMuscular: Agitation Associated with Schizophrenia and Bipolar I Mania

Dose Selection for Agitated Adult Patients with Schizophrenia and Bipolar I Mania — The efficacy of intramuscular olanzapine for injection in controlling agitation in these disorders was demonstrated in a dose range of 2.5 mg to 10 mg. The recommended dose in these patients is 10 mg. A lower dose of 5 or 7.5 mg may be considered when clinical factors warrant [see Clinical Studies (14.3)]. If agitation warranting additional intramuscular doses persists following the initial dose, subsequent doses up to 10 mg may be given. However, the efficacy of repeated doses of intramuscular olanzapine for injection in agitated patients has not been systematically evaluated in controlled clinical trials. Also, the safety of total daily doses greater than 30 mg, or 10 mg injections given more frequently than 2 hours after the initial dose, and 4 hours after the second dose have not been evaluated in clinical trials. Maximal dosing of intramuscular olanzapine (e.g., 3 doses of 10 mg administered 2-4 hours apart) may be associated with a substantial occurrence of significant orthostatic hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8)]. Thus, it is recommended that patients requiring subsequent intramuscular injections be assessed for orthostatic hypotension prior to the administration of any subsequent doses of intramuscular olanzapine for injection. The administration of an additional dose to a patient with a clinically significant postural change in systolic blood pressure is not recommended.

If ongoing olanzapine therapy is clinically indicated, oral olanzapine may be initiated in a range of 5-20 mg/day as soon as clinically appropriate [see Dosage and Administration (2.1, 2.2)].

Intramuscular Dosing in Special Populations — A dose of 5 mg/injection should be considered for geriatric patients or when other clinical factors warrant. A lower dose of 2.5 mg/injection should be considered for patients who otherwise might be debilitated, be predisposed to hypotensive reactions, or be more pharmacodynamically sensitive to olanzapine [see Warnings and Precautions (5.14), Drug Interactions (7), and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

Administration of ZYPREXA IntraMuscular — ZYPREXA IntraMuscular is intended for intramuscular use only. Do not administer intravenously or subcutaneously. Inject slowly, deep into the muscle mass.

Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit.

Directions for Preparation of ZYPREXA IntraMuscular with Sterile Water for Injection — Dissolve the contents of the vial using 2.1 mL of Sterile Water for Injection to provide a solution containing approximately 5 mg/mL of olanzapine. The resulting solution should appear clear and yellow. ZYPREXA IntraMuscular reconstituted with Sterile Water for Injection should be used immediately (within 1 hour) after reconstitution. Discard any unused portion.

The following table provides injection volumes for delivering various doses of intramuscular olanzapine for injection reconstituted with Sterile Water for Injection.

Dose, mg Olanzapine Volume of Injection, mL
10 Withdraw total contents of vial
7.5 1.5
5 1
2.5 0.5

Physical Incompatibility Information — ZYPREXA IntraMuscular should be reconstituted only with Sterile Water for Injection. ZYPREXA IntraMuscular should not be combined in a syringe with diazepam injection because precipitation occurs when these products are mixed. Lorazepam injection should not be used to reconstitute ZYPREXA IntraMuscular as this combination results in a delayed reconstitution time. ZYPREXA IntraMuscular should not be combined in a syringe with haloperidol injection because the resulting low pH has been shown to degrade olanzapine over time.

2.5 ZYPREXA and Fluoxetine in Combination: Depressive Episodes Associated with Bipolar I Disorder

When using ZYPREXA and fluoxetine in combination, also refer to the Clinical Studies section of the package insert for Symbyax.

Oral olanzapine should be administered in combination with fluoxetine once daily in the evening, without regard to meals, generally beginning with 5 mg of oral olanzapine and 20 mg of fluoxetine. Dosage adjustments, if indicated, can be made according to efficacy and tolerability within dose ranges of oral olanzapine 5 to 12.5 mg and fluoxetine 20 to 50 mg. Antidepressant efficacy was demonstrated with ZYPREXA and fluoxetine in combination in adult patients with a dose range of olanzapine 6 to 12 mg and fluoxetine 25 to 50 mg.

Safety and efficacy of ZYPREXA and fluoxetine in combination was determined in clinical trials supporting approval of Symbyax (fixed dose combination of ZYPREXA and fluoxetine). Symbyax is dosed between 3 mg/25 mg (olanzapine/fluoxetine) per day and 12 mg/50 mg (olanzapine/fluoxetine) per day. The following table demonstrates the appropriate individual component doses of ZYPREXA and fluoxetine versus Symbyax. Dosage adjustments, if indicated, should be made with the individual components according to efficacy and tolerability.

Table 1: Approximate Dose Correspondence Between Symbyaxa and the Combination of ZYPREXA and Fluoxetine

a Symbyax (olanzapine/fluoxetine HCl) is a fixed-dose combination of ZYPREXA and fluoxetine.

For Use in Combination
Symbyax ZYPREXA Fluoxetine
(mg/day) (mg/day) (mg/day)
3 mg olanzapine/25 mg fluoxetine 2.5 20
6 mg olanzapine/25 mg fluoxetine 5 20
12 mg olanzapine/25 mg fluoxetine 10+2.5 20
6 mg olanzapine/50 mg fluoxetine 5 40+10
12 mg olanzapine/50 mg fluoxetine 10+2.5 40+10

While there is no body of evidence to answer the question of how long a patient treated with ZYPREXA and fluoxetine in combination should remain on it, it is generally accepted that bipolar I disorder, including the depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder, is a chronic illness requiring chronic treatment. The physician should periodically reexamine the need for continued pharmacotherapy.

Safety of co-administration of doses above 18 mg olanzapine with 75 mg fluoxetine has not been evaluated in clinical studies.

ZYPREXA monotherapy is not indicated for the treatment of depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder.

All MedLibrary.org resources are included in as near-original form as possible, meaning that the information from the original provider has been rendered here with only typographical or stylistic modifications and not with any substantive alterations of content, meaning or intent.

This site is provided for educational and informational purposes only, in accordance with our Terms of Use, and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a medical doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner or other qualified health professional.

Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved.