Undesirable alterations in lipids have been observed with olanzapine use. Clinical monitoring, including baseline and periodic follow-up lipid evaluations in patients using olanzapine, is recommended [see ].
Patient Counseling Information (17.5)
Clinically significant, and sometimes very high (>500 mg/dL), elevations in triglyceride levels have been observed with olanzapine use. Modest mean increases in total cholesterol have also been seen with olanzapine use.
— In an analysis of 5 placebo-controlled olanzapine monotherapy studies with treatment duration up to 12 weeks, olanzapine-treated patients had increases from baseline in mean fasting total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides of 5.3 mg/dL, 3.0 mg/dL, and 20.8 mg/dL respectively compared to decreases from baseline in mean fasting total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides of 6.1 mg/dL, 4.3 mg/dL, and 10.7 mg/dL for placebo-treated patients. For fasting HDL cholesterol, no clinically meaningful differences were observed between olanzapine-treated patients and placebo-treated patients. Mean increases in fasting lipid values (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides) were greater in patients without evidence of lipid dysregulation at baseline, where lipid dysregulation was defined as patients diagnosed with dyslipidemia or related adverse reactions, patients treated with lipid lowering agents, or patients with high baseline lipid levels.
Olanzapine Monotherapy in Adults
In long-term studies (at least 48 weeks), patients had increases from baseline in mean fasting total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides of 5.6 mg/dL, 2.5 mg/dL, and 18.7 mg/dL, respectively, and a mean decrease in fasting HDL cholesterol of 0.16 mg/dL. In an analysis of patients who completed 12 months of therapy, the mean nonfasting total cholesterol did not increase further after approximately 4 to 6 months.
The proportion of patients who had changes (at least once) in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol or triglycerides from normal or borderline to high, or changes in HDL cholesterol from normal or borderline to low, was greater in long-term studies (at least 48 weeks) as compared with short-term studies. Table 4 shows categorical changes in fasting lipids values.
Table 4: Changes in Fasting Lipids Values from Adult Olanzapine Monotherapy Studies| | | | Up to 12 weeks exposure | At least 48 weeks exposure |
| Laboratory Analyte | Category Change (at least once) from Baseline | Treatment Arm | N
| Patients
| N
| Patients
|
| Not Applicable.
a |
Fasting Triglycerides
| Increase by ≥ 50 mg/dL | Olanzapine | 745 | 39.6% | 487 | 61.4% |
| Placebo | 402 | 26.1% | NA
a | NA
a |
Normal to High (< 150 mg/dL to ≥ 200 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 457 | 9.2% | 293 | 32.4% |
| Placebo | 251 | 4.4% | NA
a | NA
a |
Borderline to High (≥ 150 mg/dL and < 200 mg/dL to ≥ 200 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 135 | 39.3% | 75 | 70.7% |
| Placebo | 65 | 20.0% | NA
a | NA
a |
| | | | | | | |
Fasting Total Cholesterol
| Increase by ≥ 40 mg/dL | Olanzapine | 745 | 21.6% | 489 | 32.9% |
| Placebo | 402 | 9.5% | NA
a | NA
a |
Normal to High (< 200 mg/dL to ≥ 240 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 392 | 2.8% | 283 | 14.8% |
| Placebo | 207 | 2.4% | NA
a | NA
a |
Borderline to High (≥ 200 mg/dL and < 240 mg/dL to ≥ 240 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 222 | 23.0% | 125 | 55.2% |
| Placebo | 112 | 12.5% | NA
a | NA
a |
| |
Fasting LDL Cholesterol
| Increase by ≥ 30 mg/dL | Olanzapine | 536 | 23.7% | 483 | 39.8% |
| Placebo | 304 | 14.1% | NA
a | NA
a |
Normal to High (< 100 mg/dL to ≥ 160 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 154 | 0% | 123 | 7.3% |
| Placebo | 82 | 1.2% | NA
a | NA
a |
Borderline to High (≥ 100 mg/dL and < 160 mg/dL to ≥ 160 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 302 | 10.6% | 284 | 31.0% |
| Placebo | 173 | 8.1% | NA
a | NA
a |
In phase 1 of the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE), over a median exposure of 9.2 months, the mean increase in triglycerides in patients taking olanzapine was 40.5 mg/dL. In phase 1 of CATIE, the mean increase in total cholesterol was 9.4 mg/dL.
— The safety and efficacy of olanzapine for injection have not been established in patients under the age of 18 years. In an analysis of 3 placebo-controlled olanzapine monotherapy studies of adolescents, including those with schizophrenia (6 weeks) or bipolar I disorder (manic or mixed episodes) (3 weeks), olanzapine-treated adolescents had increases from baseline in mean fasting total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides of 12.9 mg/dL, 6.5 mg/dL, and 28.4 mg/dL, respectively, compared to increases from baseline in mean fasting total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol of 1.3 mg/dL and 1.0 mg/dL, and a decrease in triglycerides of 1.1 mg/dL for placebo-treated adolescents. For fasting HDL cholesterol, no clinically meaningful differences were observed between olanzapine-treated adolescents and placebo-treated adolescents.
Olanzapine Monotherapy in Adolescents
In long-term studies (at least 24 weeks), adolescents had increases from baseline in mean fasting total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides of 5.5 mg/dL, 5.4 mg/dL, and 20.5 mg/dL, respectively, and a mean decrease in fasting HDL cholesterol of 4.5 mg/dL. Table 5 shows categorical changes in fasting lipids values in adolescents.
Table 5: Changes in Fasting Lipids Values from Adolescent Olanzapine Monotherapy Studies| | | | Up to 6 weeks exposure | At least 24 weeks exposure |
| Laboratory Analyte | Category Change (at least once) from Baseline | Treatment Arm | N
| Patients
| N
| Patients
|
| Not Applicable.
a |
Fasting Triglycerides
| Increase by ≥ 50 mg/dL | Olanzapine | 138 | 37.0% | 122 | 45.9% |
| Placebo | 66 | 15.2% | NA
a | NA
a |
Normal to High (< 90 mg/dL to > 130 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 67 | 26.9% | 66 | 36.4% |
| Placebo | 28 | 10.7% | NA
a | NA
a |
Borderline to High (≥ 90 mg/dL and ≤ 130 mg/dL to > 130 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 37 | 59.5% | 31 | 64.5% |
| Placebo | 17 | 35.3% | NA
a | NA
a |
| | | | | | | |
Fasting Total Cholesterol
| Increase by ≥ 40 mg/dL | Olanzapine | 138 | 14.5% | 122 | 14.8% |
| Placebo | 66 | 4.5% | NA
a | NA
a |
Normal to High (< 170 mg/dL to ≥ 200 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 87 | 6.9% | 78 | 7.7% |
| Placebo | 43 | 2.3% | NA
a | NA
a |
Borderline to High (≥ 170 mg/dL and < 200 mg/dL to ≥ 200 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 36 | 38.9% | 33 | 57.6% |
| Placebo | 13 | 7.7% | NA
a | NA
a |
| |
Fasting LDL Cholesterol
| Increase by ≥ 30 mg/dL | Olanzapine | 137 | 17.5% | 121 | 22.3% |
| Placebo | 63 | 11.1% | NA
a | NA
a |
Normal to High (< 110 mg/dL to ≥ 130 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 98 | 5.1% | 92 | 10.9% |
| Placebo | 44 | 4.5% | NA
a | NA
a |
Borderline to High (≥ 110 mg/dL and < 130 mg/dL to ≥ 130 mg/dL)
| Olanzapine | 29 | 48.3% | 21 | 47.6% |
| Placebo | 9 | 0% | NA
a | NA
a |