Olanzapine: a 5-year perspective.

Abstract

Olanzapine is a novel antipsychotic, approved for the acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. Despite the publicity regarding reported adverse events with the novel antipsychotics, such as weight gain and Type II diabetes mellitus, olanzapine remains a useful and important medicine. It is a selective monoaminergic antagonist with high-affinity binding to a number of receptors thought to be implicated in some psychotic and mood symptoms. The complex pharmacology of olanzapine has lead to studies exploring its use in treating substance abuse, aggression/violence, borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and as a neuroprotective agent in schizophrenia. As the pharmacology of olanzapine and other novel antipsychotics becomes better understood, future effective treatment strategies are likely to match an individual's genetic makeup and receptor profiles to the most compatible agent.

• Authors: Kimberly H Littrell, Richard G Petty, Nicole M Wolf
• Journal: Expert review of neurotherapeutics (Expert Rev Neurother) Vol. 6 Issue 6 Pg. 811-21 (Jun 2006) ISSN: 1744-8360 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 16784405 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antipsychotic Agents
• Benzodiazepines
• Olanzapine

Topics

• Antipsychotic Agents (adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
• Benzodiazepines (adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
• Bipolar Disorder (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Olanzapine
• Schizophrenia (drug therapy)