Up-to-date expert opinion on the safety of recently developed antipsychotics

Introduction There are several new and emerging antipsychotic medication strategies recently marketed or under clinical development for the treatment of several mental disorders. There is the need to provide an up-to-date overview on the safety of this new generation of antipsychotic medications, which includes also the third-generation antipsychotics (TGA). Areas covered The authors aimed at providing a synthesis of the most current evidence about the safety profile of the recently developed and/or marketed antipsychotics. Qualitative synthesis followed an electronic search made inquiring of the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library from inception until March 2020, combining free terms and MESH headings for the topics of TGA and recently developed and/or marketed antipsychotics as following: ((safetyORadverse eventsORside effects) AND ((brexpiprazoleORcariprazineORinhaled loxapineORlumateperone(ITI-007) ORlurasidoneORpimavanserinORroluperidone(MIN-101) ORtransdermal patch asenapine)). Expert opinion Overall, newer antipsychotics display a good safety profile, with a well-demonstrated lower metabolic liability compared to second-generation antipsychotics. Furthermore, TGA appear to specifically target negative symptomatology and improving cognitive domains

Belgian consensus on metabolic problems associated with atypical antipsychotics

A workshop was convened by a panel of psychiatrists, diabetologists and pharmacists from major Belgian hospitals to review the latest information relating to the risks with second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) for the development of metabolic disorders, especially impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. The panelists sought to formulate recommendations for practising psychiatrists when initiating and maintaining therapy with SGA, and for the switch of SGA or initiation of further treatment if metabolic complications occur. In addition, recommendations for counselling of the patient and for the cooperation between the psychiatrist and the general physician or diabetologist, respectively, were provided

Psychiatric and general medical comorbidity

The observation that chronic disorders occur together frequently has become of increasing interest as it is now viewed as the norm and not the exception. Of concern is the increasing trend of comorbidity in younger populations especially in areas of socioeconomic deprivation and low income countries. There are reasons why comorbidity is of great importance not only in the context of diagnostic classification, aetiology and pathogenesis but also for models of health-care delivery, rationalisation of pharmacotherapy, patients’ self management and the complex simultaneous utilisation of health-care systems. There is a need, therefore, for a better understanding of the coexistence of various diseases in order to develop more effective and cost-effective interventions to improve health and social outcomes. Comorbidity in medicine is now viewed as one of the major challenges in the twenty-first century in terms of prevention and treatment. With comorbidity comes the increasing risk of mental health problems especially depression leading to potentially more complications and worse prognosis overall. It is already well established that those with severe mental illness suffer increased comorbid conditions and a reduced life expectancy due to predominantly comorbid cardiovascular problems. Fragmentation in the health-care system and the current single disease model only exacerbate the problem of effectively helping people experiencing comorbidities and especially comorbidities involving both mental and physical conditions. New ways of thinking are required to redesign healthcare systems for the development of effective early intervention and screening to treat coexisting conditions and enable clinicians to deliver more integrated person-centred care to improve health outcomes and quality of life for this population

Antipsychotics Associated with the Development of Type 2 Diabetes in Antipsychotic-Naïve Schizophrenia Patients

Diabetes mellitus occurs in schizophrenia patients at higher rates than in the general population. Reasons for this elevated risk are poorly understood and have not been examined prospectively in antipsychotic-naïve, first-episode patients. This study aims to determine which antipsychotics are associated with diabetes development in antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia patients. All antipsychotic-naïve patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in Denmark between 01 January 1997 and 31 December 2004, followed until 31 December 2007, allowing for ⩾3 years follow-up, unless death or diabetes onset occurred. Risk factors for the time to diabetes onset were assessed, including antipsychotics taken for at least 180 defined daily doses in the first year after first antipsychotic prescription (‘initial treatment'). Risk factors for diabetes incidence were assessed, including antipsychotic use within 3 months before diabetes onset or study end (‘current treatment'). Of 7139 patients, followed for 6.6 years (47 297 patient years), 307 developed diabetes (annual incidence rate: 0.65%). Time to diabetes onset was significantly shorter in patients with higher age (hazard ratio (HR): 1.03, confidence interval (CI): 1.02–1.03) and those with ‘initial' treatment of olanzapine (HR: 1.41, CI: 1.09–1.83), mid-potency first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) (HR: 1.60, CI: 1.07–2.39), antihypertensive (HR: 1.87, CI: 1.13–3.09), or lipid-lowering drugs (HR: 4.67, CI: 2.19–10.00). Significant factors associated with diabetes within 3 month of its development included treatment with low-potency FGAs (odds ratio (OR): 1.52, CI: 1.14–2.02), olanzapine (OR: 1.44, CI: 1.98–1.91), and clozapine (OR: 1.67, CI: 1.14–2.46), whereas aripiprazole was associated with lower diabetes risk (OR: 0.51, CI: 0.33–0.80). In addition to general diabetes risk factors, such as age, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, diabetes is promoted in schizophrenia patients by initial and current treatment with olanzapine and mid-potency FGAs, as well as by current treatment with or low-potency first-generation antipsychotics and clozapine, whereas current aripiprazole treatment reduced diabetes risk. Patients discontinuing olanzapine or mid-potency FGA had no increased risk of diabetes compared with patient not treated with the drugs at anytime