TY - JOUR
T1 - Use of asenapine as add-on therapy in the treatment of bipolar disorder
T2 - A comprehensive review and case series
AU - Dell'Osso, Bernardo
AU - Cremaschi, Laura
AU - Palazzo, Maria Carlotta
AU - Spagnolin, Gregorio
AU - Cattaneo, Alma
AU - Grancini, Benedetta
AU - Maggi, Matteo
AU - Altamura, Alfredo Carlo
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Introduction: Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs), conducted in schizophrenic and bipolar patients, have documented the efficacy and tolerability of asenapine as monotherapy both for short- and long-term treatment. However, evidence on its augmentative use is more limited and related to the manic/mixed phase of bipolar disorder (BD).Areas covered: The present article reviews augmentative asenapine efficacy and safety/tolerability in the treatment of BD. It also includes some original cases of bipolar patients treated with add-on asenapine in the short- and long-term.Expert opinion: To date, only a single RCT with manic/mixed patients with partial response to mood-stabilizer monotherapy supports the efficacy and safety/tolerability of augmentative asenapine to lithium/valproate, both in acute and long-term treatment. Additionally, two case reports confirm the overall effectiveness of augmentative asenapine to clozapine and valproate. Our case series, consisting of 4 bipolar patients treated with adjunctive asenapine to mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics-with treatment duration ranging from 1 to 14 months-provided clinical results that are consistent with literature data. Taken as a whole, available evidence seems to support the efficacy and safety of adjunctive asenapine in bipolar patients, though additional studies with active comparators are requested to confirm the current body of evidence.
AB - Introduction: Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs), conducted in schizophrenic and bipolar patients, have documented the efficacy and tolerability of asenapine as monotherapy both for short- and long-term treatment. However, evidence on its augmentative use is more limited and related to the manic/mixed phase of bipolar disorder (BD).Areas covered: The present article reviews augmentative asenapine efficacy and safety/tolerability in the treatment of BD. It also includes some original cases of bipolar patients treated with add-on asenapine in the short- and long-term.Expert opinion: To date, only a single RCT with manic/mixed patients with partial response to mood-stabilizer monotherapy supports the efficacy and safety/tolerability of augmentative asenapine to lithium/valproate, both in acute and long-term treatment. Additionally, two case reports confirm the overall effectiveness of augmentative asenapine to clozapine and valproate. Our case series, consisting of 4 bipolar patients treated with adjunctive asenapine to mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics-with treatment duration ranging from 1 to 14 months-provided clinical results that are consistent with literature data. Taken as a whole, available evidence seems to support the efficacy and safety of adjunctive asenapine in bipolar patients, though additional studies with active comparators are requested to confirm the current body of evidence.
KW - Add-on therapy
KW - Asenapine
KW - Bipolar disorder
KW - Efficacy
KW - Tolerability
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U2 - 10.1517/14740338.2014.938047
DO - 10.1517/14740338.2014.938047
M3 - Article
C2 - 25084462
AN - SCOPUS:84906268187
VL - 13
SP - 1199
EP - 1208
JO - Expert Opinion on Drug Safety
JF - Expert Opinion on Drug Safety
SN - 1474-0338
IS - 9
ER -