Approved therapeutics for bipolar depression are associated with a range of undesirable side effects. Lumateperone (LUMA), a mechanistically novel antipsychotic that simultaneously modulates serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate neurotransmission, is FDA-approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and depressive episodes associated with bipolar I or bipolar II disorder. The efficacy of LUMA in bipolar depression was previously established in two Phase 3 trials, as monotherapy (NCT03249376) and as adjunctive to lithium or valproate (NCT02600507).

A recent Phase 3 multi-center trial, Study 401 (NCT02600494) investigated the efficacy and safety of LUMA in bipolar depression and comprised a 6-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled period and a 6-month open-label extension (OLE) period. Here, we report the results of the OLE period, examining long-term safety.

Patients, aged 18–75 years, with a clinical diagnosis of bipolar I or II disorder who were experiencing a major depressive episode (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS] Total score ≥20 and a Clinical Global Impression Scale-Bipolar Version, Severity [CGI-BP-S] score ≥4) were eligible for Study 401. Patients who completed the double-blind study were eligible for direct rollover into the OLE or were re-screened if completing the double-blind period prior to the initiation of the OLE. During the OLE, LUMA 42 mg was administered once-daily in the evening for 25 weeks.

The primary objective was safety and tolerability of LUMA as measured by incidences of adverse events (AEs) and changes in laboratory parameters, cardiometabolic measurements, electrocardiogram (ECG), and vital signs. The secondary objective was improvement/maintenance of symptoms of depression as measured MADRS and CGI-BP-S Total scores.

A total of 127 patients were enrolled in the OLE, with 74 (58.3%) completing the study. Treatment-emergent AEs (TEAEs) occurred in 73 patients (57.5%) with 54 (42.5%) experiencing a drug-related TEAE. TEAEs that occurred in ≥5% of patients were headache, dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, somnolence, anxiety, and irritability. Most TEAEs were mild or moderate in severity. Extrapyramidal-symptom-related TEAEs were rare. Most patients who had normal metabolic laboratory values at baseline remained normal during the treatment period. Mean changes in blood pressure, pulse rate, ECG, and body morphology were minimal. Symptoms of depression improved as measured by the mean change from baseline to Day 175 in MADRS Total score (−8.9) and CGI-BP-S Total score (−2.3).

In patients with bipolar depression, long-term LUMA treatment was generally well tolerated with low risk of extrapyramidal symptoms, weight gain, and cardiometabolic effects. These data further support the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of LUMA in patients with bipolar depression.

Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.

Immune system markers may predict affective disorder treatment response, but whether an overall immune system marker predicts bipolar disorder treatment effect is unclear.

Bipolar CHOICE (N = 482) and LiTMUS (N = 283) were similar comparative effectiveness trials treating patients with bipolar disorder for 24 weeks with four different treatment arms (standard-dose lithium, quetiapine, moderate-dose lithium plus optimised personalised treatment (OPT) and OPT without lithium). We performed secondary mixed effects linear regression analyses adjusted for age, gender, smoking and body mass index to investigate relationships between pre-treatment white blood cell (WBC) levels and clinical global impression scale (CGI) response.

Compared to participants with WBC counts of 4.5–10 × 109/l, participants with WBC < 4.5 or WBC ≥ 10 showed similar improvement within each specific treatment arm and in gender-stratified analyses.

An overall immune system marker did not predict differential treatment response to four different treatment approaches for bipolar disorder all lasting 24 weeks.

Immunological theories, particularly the sickness syndrome theory, may explain psychopathology in mood disorders. However, no clinical trials have investigated the association between overall immune system markers with a wide range of specific symptoms including potential gender differences.

We included two similar clinical trials, the lithium treatment moderate-dose use study and clinical and health outcomes initiatives in comparative effectiveness for bipolar disorder study, enrolling 765 participants with bipolar disorder. At study entry, white blood cell (WBC) count was measured and psychopathology assessed with the Montgomery and Aasberg depression rating scale (MADRS). We performed analysis of variance and linear regression analyses to investigate the relationship between the deviation from the median WBC, and multinomial regression analysis between different WBC levels. All analyses were performed gender-specific and adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, race, and somatic diseases.

The overall MADRS score increased significantly for each 1.0×109/l deviation from the median WBC among 322 men (coefficient=1.10; 95% CI=0.32–1.89; p=0.006), but not among 443 women (coefficient=0.56; 95% CI=−0.19–1.31; p=0.14). Among men, WBC deviations were associated with increased severity of sadness, inner tension, reduced sleep, reduced appetite, concentration difficulties, inability to feel, and suicidal thoughts. Among women, WBC deviations were associated with increased severity of reduced appetite, concentration difficulties, lassitude, inability to feel, and pessimistic thoughts. Both higher and lower WBC levels were associated with increased severity of several specific symptoms.

Immune system alterations were associated with increased severity of specific mood symptoms, particularly among men. Our results support the sickness syndrome theory, but furthermore emphasise the relevance to study immune suppression in bipolar disorder. Due to the explorative nature and cross-sectional design, future studies need to confirm these findings.

Atypical antipsychotics are widely used in bipolar mania. However, the efficacy of atypical antipsychotics in bipolar depression has not been comprehensively explored.

To evaluate olanzapine monotherapy in patients with bipolar depression.

Patients with bipolar depression received olanzapine (5–20mg/day, n = 343) or placebo (n = l71) for 6 weeks. The primary outcome was change from baseline to end-point in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score. Secondary outcomes included: Clinical Global impression - Bipolar Version (CGI-BP) scale, 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-17) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) scores, and the rate of response (≥50% reduction in MADRS at end-point), recovery (MADRS ≤12 for ≥4 weeks plus treatment completion) and remission (MADRS ≤8). The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00510146).

Olanzapine demonstrated: significantly greater (P<0.04) improvements on MADRS (least-squares mean change -13.82 v. -11.67), HRSD-17 and YMRS total scores and all CGI-BP subscale scores v. placebo; significantly (P≤0.05) more response and remission, but not recovery; significantly (P<0.01) greater mean increases in weight, fasting cholesterol and triglycerides; and significantly more (P<0.001) patients gained ≥7% body weight.

Olanzapine monotherapy appears to be efficacious in bipolar depression. Additional long-term studies are warranted to confirm these results. Safety findings were consistent with the known safety profile of olanzapine.

Combinations of olanzapine and carbamazepine are often used in clinical practice in the management of mania.

To assess the efficacy and safety of olanzapine plus carbamazepine in mixed and manic bipolar episodes.

Randomised, double-blind, 6-week trial of olanzapine (10–30 mg/day) plus carbamazepine (400–1200 mg/day; n=58) v. placebo plus carbamazepine (n=60) followed by open-label, 20-week olanzapine (10–30 mg/day) plus carbamazepine (400–1200 mg/day, n=86), with change in manic symptoms as main outcome measure. Safety and pharmacokinetics were also evaluated.

There were no significant differences (baseline to endpoint) in efficacy measures between treatment groups, but at 6 weeks triglyceride levels were significantly higher (P=0.008) and potentially clinically significant weight gain (⩾7%) occurred more frequently (24.6% v. 3.4%, P=0.002) in the combined olanzapine and carbamazepine group. Carbamazepine reduced olanzapine concentrations but olanzapine had no effect on carbamazepine concentrations.

The combination of olanzapine and carbamazepine did not have superior efficacy to carbamazepine alone. The increases in weight and triglycerides observed during combination treatment are a matter of concern.

Sub-syndromal symptoms in bipolar disorder impair functioning and diminish quality of life.

To examine factors associated with time spent with sub-syndromal symptoms and to characterise how these symptoms influence outcomes.

In a double-blind randomised maintenance trial, patients received either olanzapine or lithium monotherapy for 1 year. Stepwise logistic regression models were used to identify factors that were significant predictors of percentage time spent with sub-syndromal symptoms. The presence of sub-syndromal symptoms during the first 8 weeks was examined as a predictor of subsequent relapse.

Presence of sub-syndromal depressive symptoms during the first 8 weeks significantly increased the likelihood of depressive relapse (relative risk 4.67, P<0.001). Patients with psychotic features and those with a greater number of previous depressive episodes were more likely to experience sub-syndromal depressive symptoms (RR=2.51, P<0.001 and RR=2.35, P=0.03 respectively).

These findings help to identify patients at increased risk of affective relapse and suggest that appropriate therapeutic interventions should be considered even when syndromal-level symptoms are absent.

Substantial weight gain is common with many atypical antipsychotics.

To evaluate the extent, time course and predictors of weight gain and its effect on study retention among people with first-episode psychosis treated with olanzapine or haloperidol.

Survival analysis assessed time to potentially clinically significant weight gain (⩾7%) and the effect of weight gain on study retention. Weight gain during the 2-year study was summarised using last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF), observed cases and study completion approaches.

After 2 years of treatment, LOCF mean weight gain was 10.2 kg (s.d.=10.1) for olanzapine (n=131) and 4.0 kg (s.d.=7.3) for haloperidol (n=132); observed cases mean weight gain was 15.4 kg (s.d.=10.0) for olanzapine and 7.5 kg (s.d.=9.2) for haloperidol. Change in body mass index was significantly predicted only by treatment group (P < 0.0001).

Olanzapine was associated with significantly greater weight gain than haloperidol, with both leading to greater weight gain than previously described.

Few controlled studies examine the treatment of depressive features in mania.

To evaluate the efficacy of olanzapine, in combination with lithium or valproate, for treating depressive symptoms associated with mania.

Secondary analysis of a 6-week, double-blind, randomised study of olanzapine (5–20 mg/day) or placebo combined with ongoing valproate or lithium open treatment for 344 patients in mixed or manic episodes. This analysis focused on a dysphoric subgroup with baseline Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) total scores of 20 or over contrasted with non-dysphoric patients.

In the dysphoric subgroup (n=85) mean HRSD total score improvement was significantly greater in olanzapine co-therapy patients than in those receiving placebo plus lithium or valproate (P<0.001). Substantial contributors to this superiority included the HRSD Maier sub-scale (P=0.013) and the suicide item (P=0.001). Total Young Mania Rating Scale improvement was also superior with olanzapine co-therapy.

In patients with acute dysphoric mania, addition of olanzapine to ongoing lithium or valproate monotherapy significantly improved depressive symptom, mania and suicidality ratings.

Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) may contribute to the observed heterogeneity of the treatment response in first-episode schizophrenia.

To examine the relationship of DUP and premorbid function with clinical outcomes following up to 2 years of antipsychotic treatment.

For a subsample (n = 191) of subjects participating in a clinical trial, DUP and premorbid function were prospectively compared with clinical response to olanzapine or haloperidol.

Shorter DUP and good premorbid function each independently are associated with better clinical response, including improvement in overall psychopathology and negative symptoms. Premorbid function also is associated with positive symptom, social and vocational outcomes.

Earlier antipsychotic treatment is associated with better outcomes in first-episode schizophrenia. Poor premorbid function could indicate an illness subtype less likely to respond to antipsychotic treatment regardless of when it is instituted.

Few controlled studies have examined the use of atypical antipsychotic drugs for prevention of relapse in patients with bipolar I disorder.

To evaluate whether olanzapine plus either lithium or valproate reduces the rate of relapse, compared with lithium or valproate alone.

Patients achieving syndromic remission after 6 weeks'treatment with olanzapine plus either lithium (0.6–1.2 mmol/l) or valproate (50–125 μg/ml) received lithium or valproate plus either olanzapine 5–20 mg/day (combination therapy) or placebo (monotherapy), and were followed in a double-masked trial for 18 months.

The treatment difference in time to relapse into either mania or depression was not significant for syndromic relapse (median time to relapse: combination therapy 94 days, monotherapy40.5 days; P=0.742), but was significant for symptomatic relapse (combination therapy 163 days, monotherapy42 days; P=0.023).

Patients taking olanzapine added to lithium or valproate experienced sustained symptomatic remission, but not syndromic remission, for longer than those receiving lithium or valproate monotherapy.