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Agid O, Crespo-Facorro B, de Bartolomeis A, Fagiolini A, Howes OD, Seppälä N, Correll CU. Overcoming the barriers to identifying and managing treatment-resistant schizophrenia and to improving access to clozapine: A narrative review and recommendation for clinical practice. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 84:35-47. [PMID: 38657339 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Clozapine is the only approved antipsychotic for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Although a large body of evidence supports its efficacy and favorable risk-benefit ratio in individuals who have failed two or more antipsychotics, clozapine remains underused. However, variations in clozapine utilization across geographic and clinical settings suggest that it could be possible to improve its use. In this narrative review and expert opinion, we summarized information available in the literature on the mechanisms of action, effectiveness, and potential adverse events of clozapine. We identified barriers leading to discouragement in clozapine prescription internationally, and we proposed practical solutions to overcome each barrier. One of the main obstacles identified to the use of clozapine is the lack of appropriate training for physicians: we highlighted the need to develop specific professional programs to train clinicians, both practicing and in residency, on the relevance and efficacy of clozapine in TRS treatment, initiation, maintenance, and management of potential adverse events. This approach would facilitate physicians to identify eligible patients and offer clozapine as a treatment option in the early stage of the disease. We also noted that increasing awareness of the benefits of clozapine among healthcare professionals, people with TRS, and their caregivers can help promote the use of clozapine. Educational material, such as leaflets or videos, could be developed and distributed to achieve this goal. The information provided in this article may be useful to improve disease burden and support healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers navigating the complex pathways to TRS management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofer Agid
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío-IBiS-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Andrea de Bartolomeis
- University of Naples Federico II, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science, and Odontostomatology. Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry. Unit of Treatment Resistant Psychosis, Naples, Italy; Staff Unesco Chair at University of Naples Federico II, Italy
| | | | - Oliver D Howes
- IoPPN, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, United Kingdom
| | - Niko Seppälä
- Wellbeing Services in Satakunta, Department of Psychiatry, Pori, Finland and Medical Consultant, Viatris, Finland
| | - Christoph U Correll
- The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, New York, United States; Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Hempstead, New York, United States; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Augustenburger Platz 1, Berlin 13353, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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Yin Y, Lin C, Wei L, Tong J, Huang J, Tian B, Tan S, Wang Z, Yang F, Tong Y, Chen S, Hong LE, Tan Y. History of suicidal behavior and clozapine prescribing among people with schizophrenia in China: a cohort study. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:440. [PMID: 38867174 PMCID: PMC11167794 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05893-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clozapine is an off-label drug used in most countries to prevent suicide in individuals with schizophrenia. However, few studies have reported real-world prescription practices. This study aimed to explore the association between a history of suicidal behavior and clozapine prescribing during eight weeks of hospitalization for individuals with early-stage schizophrenia. METHODS This observational cohort study used routine health data collected from a mental health hospital in Beijing, China. The study included 1057 inpatients who had schizophrenia onset within 3 years. History of suicidal behavior was coded from reviewing medical notes according to the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Information on antipsychotic use during hospitalization was extracted from the prescription records. Time to clozapine use was analyzed using Cox regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical covariates. RESULTS The prevalence rates of self-harm, suicidal behavior, and suicide attempt were 12.3%, 7.5%, and 5.4%, respectively. A history of self-harm history was positively associated with clozapine uses upon admission (4.1% vs. 0.8%, exact p = 0.009). Among those who had not used clozapine and had no clozapine contraindication, A history of suicidal behavior increased the possibility of switch to clozapine within 56 days after admission (Hazard Ratio[95% CI], 6.09[2.08-17.83]) or during hospitalization (4.18[1.62-10.78]). CONCLUSION The use of clozapine for early-stage schizophrenia was more frequent among those with suicidal behavior than among those without suicidal behavior in China, although the drug instructions do not label its use for suicide risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yin
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center, World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Lin
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijing Wei
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinghui Tong
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Junchao Huang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Baopeng Tian
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuping Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiren Wang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Fude Yang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongsheng Tong
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Song Chen
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - L Elliot Hong
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States of America
| | - Yunlong Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Cohn AB, Yang YS. The effects of individualism versus collectivism on clozapine policy stringency. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2024. [PMID: 38826010 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander B Cohn
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yvonne S Yang
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Veterans Affairs VISN22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
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De Las Cuevas C, Sanz EJ, Gross JA, Correll CU, Verdoux H, Lally J, de Filippis R, Schulte PFJ, Molden E, Arrojo-Romero M, Bostrom AD, Schoretsanitis G, Fernandez-Egea E, de Leon J. Revealing the reporting disparity: VigiBase highlights underreporting of clozapine in other Western European countries compared to the UK. Schizophr Res 2024; 268:175-188. [PMID: 38065799 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmacovigilance studies indicate clozapine history is marked by adverse drug reactions (ADRs). OBJECTIVE In a 2021 article, the United Kingdom (UK) had >90 % of European clozapine-related fatal outcomes in VigiBase, the World Health Organization's pharmacovigilance database. Two possibly opposing hypotheses could explain this disparity: 1) fewer reported fatal outcomes in other Western European countries mainly reflect underreporting to VigiBase, and 2) the higher number of UK reports reflects higher real relative mortality. METHODS VigiBase reports from clozapine's introduction to December 31, 2022, were studied for ADRs and the top 10 causes of fatal outcomes. The UK was compared with 11 other top reporting Western countries (Germany, Denmark, France, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). Nine countries (except Ireland and Switzerland) were compared after controlling for population and clozapine prescriptions. RESULTS The UK accounted for 29 % of worldwide clozapine-related fatal outcomes, Germany 2 % and <1 % in each of the other countries. The nonspecific label "death" was the top cause in the world (46 %) and in the UK (33 %). "Pneumonia" was second in the world (8 %), the UK (12 %), Ireland (8 %) and Finland (14 %). Assuming that our corrections for population and clozapine use are correct, other countries underreported only 1-10 % of the UK clozapine fatal outcome number. CONCLUSIONS Different Western European countries consistently underreport to VigiBase compared to the UK, but have different reporting/publishing styles for clozapine-related ADRs/fatal outcomes. Three Scandinavian registries suggest lives are saved as clozapine use increases, but this cannot be studied in pharmacovigilance databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos De Las Cuevas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dermatology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Emilio J Sanz
- Department of Physical Medicine and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Universidad de La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain; Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain
| | | | - Christoph U Correll
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany; The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Psychiatry Research, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Zucker School of Medicine at Northwell/Hofstra, Hempstead, NY, USA.
| | - Hélène Verdoux
- Université Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Team Pharmacoepidemiology, Bordeaux, France.
| | - John Lally
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.; Department of Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital Fairview, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Renato de Filippis
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Peter F J Schulte
- Mental Health Services Noord-Holland-Noord, Alkmaar, the Netherlands; Dutch Clozapine Collaboration Group, Castricum, the Netherlands.
| | - Espen Molden
- Center for Psychopharmacology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Manuel Arrojo-Romero
- Department of Psychiatry, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Adrian D Bostrom
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Sciences/Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Georgios Schoretsanitis
- The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Psychiatry Research, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Zucker School of Medicine at Northwell/Hofstra, Hempstead, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Emilio Fernandez-Egea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Fulbourn Hospital, Fulbourn, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Jose de Leon
- Mental Health Research Center at Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, KY, USA; Biomedical Research Centre in Mental Health Net (CIBERSAM), Santiago Apostol Hospital, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain.
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Fanshawe JB, Lennox BR. Does the evidence now suggest we can safely reduce the frequency of haematological monitoring for patients stabilised on clozapine? Lancet Psychiatry 2024; 11:400-402. [PMID: 38697179 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(24)00140-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Jack B Fanshawe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Belinda R Lennox
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.
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Verdoux H, Quiles C, de Leon J. Risks and benefits of clozapine and lithium co-prescribing: A systematic review and expert recommendations. Schizophr Res 2024; 268:233-242. [PMID: 37002013 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To identify the risks and benefits of clozapine‑lithium co-prescription. METHODS Articles published in English or French were identified with a MEDLINE, Web of Sciences and PsycINFO search, from inception through January 2023, using the term 'clozapine' in combination with 'lithium'. Data were synthesized narratively. RESULTS Of the 67 articles included in the review, more than half (n = 38, 56.7 %) were focused on clozapine-related blood dyscrasia. A body of evidence drawn from case reports and retrospective chart studies highlights the potential benefits of lithium prescription for clozapine-related neutropenia, since this strategy may avoid clozapine discontinuation or allow its rechallenge. The most documented adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with clozapine‑lithium co-prescription are neurotoxic events, which may be prevented or detected early by clinical, electroencephalographic and therapeutic drug monitoring. Causality assessment cannot be established for other reported ADRs occurring during clozapine‑lithium co-prescription. The benefits of the combined prescription on psychotic and/or mood symptoms are poorly documented. CONCLUSION The risks and benefits of clozapine‑lithium co-prescription require further exploration as the combination might significantly contribute to reducing underprescription or premature discontinuation of clozapine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Verdoux
- Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, team pharmacoepidemiology, UMR 1219, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Clélia Quiles
- Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Jose de Leon
- Mental Health Research Center at Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, KY, USA; Institute of Neurosciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Biomedical Research Centre in Mental Health Net (CIBERSAM), Santiago Apostol Hospital, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain; Psychiatry and Neurosciences Research Group (CTS-549), USA
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Kitagawa K, Uekusa S, Hanai Y, Kimura I, Tsukahara M, Kagawa A, Sasaoka K, Sakishiro Y, Miyake A, Watanabe Y, Baba D, Kodama M, Kishi Y, Yamada N, Yoshio T, Matsuo K. Changes in psychopharmacotherapy for patients with schizophrenia in a psychiatric institution in Japan: A 12-year prescription survey pre- and post-introduction of clozapine. Asian J Psychiatr 2024; 96:104047. [PMID: 38640549 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Psychopharmacotherapy for patients with schizophrenia in Japan has a long history of polypharmacy, which is rare worldwide but remains a critical problem. One reason for this is that clozapine was not available in Japan until 2009. We aimed to investigate the changes in psychopharmacotherapy in patients with schizophrenia over 12 years pre- and post-introduction of clozapine to clarify how psychopharmacotherapy for patients with schizophrenia has changed with the introduction of clozapine. We retrospectively collected data from the medical records of inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia at the Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center. Chlorpromazine equivalent (CP-eq) decreased from 1276.6 mg/day in 2009 to 613.9 mg/day in 2020. The prescribed daily dose/defined daily dose (PDD/DDD) decreased from 3.0 in 2009 to 1.2 in 2020. The monotherapy rate increased from 24.4 % in 2009 to 74.6 % in 2020. Our institution began using clozapine in 2010, and the prescription rate for clozapine increased to 37.3 % in 2020. The prescription rate for more than three antipsychotics decreased from 27.8 % in 2009 to 0.8 % in 2020. The increase in clozapine prescription has contributed to an increased rate of antipsychotic monotherapy and a decreased rate of polypharmacy, promoting the optimization of schizophrenia medication. Clozapine therapy should be further promoted in Japan to reduce treatment-resistant schizophrenia due to polypharmacy as much as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Kitagawa
- Department of Clinical Research, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Shusuke Uekusa
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Funabashi, Japan.
| | - Yuki Hanai
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Funabashi, Japan
| | - Itsuki Kimura
- Department of Pharmacy, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Ota, Japan
| | - Masaru Tsukahara
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Azusa Kagawa
- Department of Pharmacy, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Kenji Sasaoka
- Department of Pharmacy, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yui Sakishiro
- Department of Pharmacy, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Ayaka Miyake
- Department of Pharmacy, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yuki Watanabe
- Department of Pharmacy, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Daiki Baba
- Department of Pharmacy, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Masafumi Kodama
- Department of Clinical Research, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan; Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Kishi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Norihito Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Takashi Yoshio
- Sumiyoshikaiseikai Sumiyoshi Hospital Yamanashi, Japan; Department of Hospital Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Showa University, Shinagawa, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Matsuo
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Funabashi, Japan
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Rubio JM, Kane JM, Tanskanen A, Tiihonen J, Taipale H. Long-term persistence of the risk of agranulocytosis with clozapine compared with other antipsychotics: a nationwide cohort and case-control study in Finland. Lancet Psychiatry 2024; 11:443-450. [PMID: 38697177 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(24)00097-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Agranulocytosis is a life-threatening side-effect of clozapine, the only approved drug for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The long-term profile of this complication has not yet been well established. Here we aim to describe the risk of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis over the long term. METHODS We used the entire population of Finland to identify people diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder between 1972 and 2014 and developed a Kaplan-Meier model of time to diagnosis of agranulocytosis during clozapine versus non-clozapine treatment over a 22-year observation period (1996 to 2017). Next, we developed a nested case-control model for agranulocytosis matching by sex, age, time since diagnosis, and being in the incident cohort on a 1 to 5 ratio. Various durations of use for clozapine and non-clozapine antipsychotic treatment were compared to the modal antipsychotic use duration, deriving adjusted odds ratios (aORs) in a multivariable regression model. Recurrence and lethality rates for clozapine-induced agranulocytosis were described. These data reflect on all individuals with lived experience of schizophrenia in Finland during the study time, although individuals with lived experience were not included in the design of the study. FINDINGS We identified 61 769 people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (14 037 individuals treated with clozapine and 47 732 individuals treated with non-clozapine antipsychotics), with a mean age of 46·67 years (IQR 34·44-57·61), of whom 30 721 (49·7%) were female and 31 048 (50·3%) were male (data on ethnicity not available). Among those, 398 individuals were diagnosed with agranulocytosis (231 individuals treated with clozapine and 167 individuals treated with non-clozapine antipsychotics), representing a cumulative incidence of agranulocytosis for 1·37% (95% CI 0·58-3·16) on clozapine and 0·13% (0·04-0·23) on non-clozapine antipsychotics. In the case (n=398) versus control (n=1987) model, the risk of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis decreased steeply over time from an aOR of 36·01 (95% CI 16·79-77·22) for less than 6 months on clozapine to 4·38 (1·86-10·34) for clozapine use of 54 months or more. Only one of 3559 individuals starting clozapine died because of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis. INTERPRETATION The risk of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis decreases steeply over time but might be persistently greater than that of non-clozapine antipsychotics. This long-term risk excess seems small in absolute terms compared with the known magnitude of the advantages of clozapine in relevant outcomes, including life expectancy. Given the widespread underuse of clozapine, relaxing the long-term neutrophil monitoring could favour the advantages of long-term clozapine use, including greater life expectancy, without incurring the intolerable risk of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis. FUNDING Northwell Health and Sigrid Jusèlius Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose M Rubio
- Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; Institute of Behavioral Science, Feinstein Institutes of Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA.
| | - John M Kane
- Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; Institute of Behavioral Science, Feinstein Institutes of Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - Antti Tanskanen
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jari Tiihonen
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm City Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heidi Taipale
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Kelly DL, Glassman M, Wonodi I, Vyas G, Richardson CM, Nwulia E, Wehring HJ, Oduguwa T, Mackowick M, Hipolito MMS, Peters O, Rai N, Park J, Adebayo AO, Gorelick DA, Weiner E, Liu F, Kearns AM, Adams HA, Love RC, Chen S, Olaniyan A, Ambulos N, McKoy D, Nallani MC, Lanzkron S, Mengistab M, Barr B, Davis E, Lawal R, Buchanan RW, Adebayo R. Clozapine and neutrophil response in patients of African descent: A six-month, multinational, prospective, open-label clinical trial. Schizophr Res 2024; 268:312-322. [PMID: 37633776 PMCID: PMC10891303 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but it is markedly underutilized, particularly in the US Black population, partly because of concern over clozapine-associated low absolute neutrophil count (ANC). People of African descent have a lower normative ANC range than the White population, which is associated with a specific "ACKR1-null" ("Duffy null") CC genotype (SNP rs2814778) on the ACKR1 gene, termed benign ethnic neutropenia (BEN). The range of ANC variability and safety of clozapine have not been established in people with BEN or examined prospectively in people of African descent. METHODS We completed a multisite, 6-month, prospective, open-label clinical trial of clozapine treatment in people of African descent with schizophrenia spectrum disorders for whom clozapine was clinically indicated, with or without the ACKR1-null genotype. We examined clozapine safety and weekly ANC during clozapine treatment and evaluated ANC variability by ACKR1-null genotype, sex, study site, and clozapine dosing using repeated measures analysis of covariance. Genotype was assayed using TaqMan® technology. RESULTS We enrolled 274 participants, of whom 227 (82.8 %) completed 6 months of clozapine treatment. There was one case of severe neutropenia (<500 cells/mm3) (0.36 %) over 1467.6 person-months of clozapine exposure. This participant recovered without sequelae after discontinuation of clozapine. Of the 249 participants with known genotypes, 199 (79.9 %) had the ACKR1-null genotype. Neutropenia (<1500 cells/mm3) occurred significantly more often in the ACKR1-null group (33 % [65/199]) than in those with the T allele (6 % (3/50); p < 0.001). Fourteen (5 %) patients discontinued due to adverse events. Rates of infection and fever were low and sialorrhea was the commonest side effect (N = 187, 68 %). CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the largest prospective clozapine trial in people of African descent. Severe neutropenia was rare, despite the high prevalence (80 %) of the ACKR1-null genotype. Our findings suggest that clozapine can be used safely in Black patients including those with BEN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna L Kelly
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America.
| | - Matthew Glassman
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Ikwunga Wonodi
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Gopal Vyas
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Spring Grove Hospital Center, Catonsville, MD, United States of America
| | - Charles M Richardson
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Spring Grove Hospital Center, Catonsville, MD, United States of America
| | - Evaristus Nwulia
- Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Heidi J Wehring
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Taiwo Oduguwa
- Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Marie Mackowick
- Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center, Jessup, MD, United States of America
| | | | | | - Narayan Rai
- Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Jaeboon Park
- Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center, Jessup, MD, United States of America
| | | | - David A Gorelick
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Elaine Weiner
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Fang Liu
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Ann Marie Kearns
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Heather A Adams
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Spring Grove Hospital Center, Catonsville, MD, United States of America
| | - Raymond C Love
- University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Shuo Chen
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | | | - Nicholas Ambulos
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Darius McKoy
- Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Madhulika C Nallani
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Sophie Lanzkron
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Mulu Mengistab
- Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Brian Barr
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Erica Davis
- University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Rahman Lawal
- Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Robert W Buchanan
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
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10
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De Las Cuevas C, Sanz EJ, de Leon J. Adverse drug reactions and their fatal outcomes in clozapine patients in VigiBase: Comparing the top four reporting countries (US, UK, Canada and Australia). Schizophr Res 2024; 268:165-174. [PMID: 37301669 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmacovigilance findings and box warnings in the clozapine package inserts have marked the history of clozapine. OBJECTIVE This is the largest review of clozapine adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and their associated fatal outcomes. Reports to the World Health Organization's global pharmacovigilance database, VigiBase™, were analyzed, extending from clozapine's introduction to December 31, 2022. METHODS The analysis focused on the top four reporting countries: United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Canada and Australia (83 % of fatal outcomes worldwide). Attempts were made to control for population and clozapine prescription in each country. RESULTS Clozapine ADRs worldwide accounted for 191,557 reports, with the highest number (53,505) in "blood and lymphatic system disorder". Of the 22,596 fatal outcomes reported in clozapine patients, 9587 were from the US, 6567 from the UK, 3623 from Canada and 1484 from Australia. The top category worldwide in fatal outcomes was nonspecifically labeled "death" with 46 % (range 22-62 %). "Pneumonia" was second with 30 % (range 17-45 %). Agranulocytosis was numerically only the 35th top clozapine ADR associated with fatal outcomes. On average, 2.3 clozapine ADRs were reported per fatal outcome. Infections were associated with 24.2 % of the UK fatal outcomes (9.4 %-11.9 % in the 3 other countries). CONCLUSIONS The four countries appeared to report clozapine ADRs in different ways, making comparisons difficult. We estimated higher fatal outcomes in the UK and Canada after controlling for cross-sectional estimations of population and published clozapine use. This last hypothesis is limited by the lack of precise estimation of accumulated clozapine use in each country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos De Las Cuevas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dermatology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Emilio J Sanz
- Department of Physical Medicine and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Universidad de La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain; Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Jose de Leon
- Mental Health Research Center at Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, KY, USA; Biomedical Research Centre in Mental Health Net (CIBERSAM), Santiago Apostol Hospital, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain.
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11
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Kane JM, Schoretsanitis G, Rubio JM, Correll CU. Clozapine in treatment-resistant schizophrenia: Reflections from the Hallmark US clinical trial and beyond. Schizophr Res 2024; 268:9-13. [PMID: 38290942 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.01.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- John M Kane
- The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Hempstead, NY, USA; The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - Georgios Schoretsanitis
- The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Hempstead, NY, USA; The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Manhasset, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Jose M Rubio
- The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Hempstead, NY, USA; The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - Christoph U Correll
- The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Hempstead, NY, USA; The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Manhasset, NY, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin, Germany
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12
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Zolezzi M, Eltorki Y. A brief history and challenges of clozapine utilization in the Arab world. Schizophr Res 2024; 268:21-24. [PMID: 37845137 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Monica Zolezzi
- College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Yassin Eltorki
- Mental Health Services, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
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13
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Sagud M, Breznoscakova D, Celofiga A, Chihai J, Chkonia E, Ristic Ignjatovic D, Injac Stevovic L, Kopecek M, Kurvits K, Kuzo N, Lazáry J, Mazaliauskienė R, Mladina Perisa D, Novotni A, Panov G, Pikirenia U, Rădulescu FȘ, Sukiasyan SG, Taube M, Tomori S, Wilkowska A, De Las Cuevas C, Sanz EJ, de Leon J. An expert review of clozapine in Eastern European countries: Use, regulations and pharmacovigilance. Schizophr Res 2024; 268:53-59. [PMID: 37783650 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To compare the prevalence, regulations, and pharmacovigilance practices of clozapine use in Eastern European countries (except Russia). METHODS Questionnaires and data from administrative databases (2016 and 2021), package inserts and national guidelines were collected from 21 co-authors from 21 countries. Reports of clozapine adverse drug reactions (ADRs) sent to the global pharmacovigilance database (VigiBase™) were analyzed from introduction to December 31, 2022. RESULTS Clozapine prescription among antipsychotics in 2021 varied six-fold across countries, from 2.8 % in the Czech Republic to 15.8 % in Montenegro. The utilization of antipsychotics in both 2016 and 2021 was highest in Croatia, and lowest in Serbia in 2016, and Montenegro in 2021, which had half the defined daily dose (DDD)/1000/day compared to the Croatian data. From 2016 to 2021, the prevalence of antipsychotic use increased in almost all countries; the proportion of clozapine use mainly remained unchanged. Differences were detected in hematological monitoring requirements and clozapine approved indications. Only a few national schizophrenia guidelines mention clozapine-induced myocarditis or individual titration schemes. The VigiBase search indicated major underreporting regarding clozapine and its fatal outcomes. By comparison, the United Kingdom had less than half the population of these Eastern European countries but reported to VigiBase more clozapine ADRs by 89-fold and clozapine fatal outcomes by almost 300-fold. CONCLUSION Clozapine is under-utilized in Eastern European countries. Introducing individualized clozapine treatment schedules may help to maximize clozapine benefits and safety. Major improvement is needed in reporting clozapine ADRs and fatal outcomes in Eastern European countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Sagud
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Dagmar Breznoscakova
- Department of Social and Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia.
| | - Andreja Celofiga
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
| | - Jana Chihai
- State University of Medicine and Pharmacy Nicolae Testemitanu, Chişinău, Republic of Moldova.
| | - Eka Chkonia
- Tbilisi State Medical University, Department of Psychiatry, Tbilisi, Georgia.
| | - Dragana Ristic Ignjatovic
- University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Kragujevac, Serbia.
| | - Lidija Injac Stevovic
- Medical Faculty, University of Montenegro, Psychiatric Clinic, Clinical Centre of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro.
| | - Miloslav Kopecek
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Department of Psychiatry, Charles University, Third Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Katrin Kurvits
- Bureau of Pharmacovigilance, Department of Post-authorisation Safety, State Agency of Medicines, Estonia.
| | - Nazar Kuzo
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Judit Lazáry
- National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Ramunė Mazaliauskienė
- Psychiatric Clinic, Lithuanian Health Sciences University Kaunas Hospital, Lithuanian Health Sciences University, Kaunas, Lithuania.
| | - Djurdjica Mladina Perisa
- County Hospital "Dr. Fra Mihovil Sučić" Livno, Svetog Ive 2, Livno 80101, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| | - Antoni Novotni
- University Clinic of Psychiatry Medical Faculty, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius-Skopje, North Macedonia.
| | - Georgi Panov
- Psychiatric Clinic, University Hospital "Prof Dr Stoyan Kirkovich" Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.
| | - Uladzimir Pikirenia
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk, Belarus.
| | - Flavian Ștefan Rădulescu
- Center for Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Samvel Grant Sukiasyan
- Psychiatric Services of Center of Psychosocial Recovery, Yerevan, Armenia; Department of Applied Psychology of the Armenian State Pedagogical University named after Kh. Abovyan, Yerevan, Armenia.
| | - Māris Taube
- Department of Psychiatry and Narcology, Riga Stradinš University, Riga, Latvia; Department for Depression and Crisis, Riga Center of Psychiatry and Narcology, Riga, Latvia.
| | - Sonila Tomori
- University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa", Tirana, Albania.
| | - Alina Wilkowska
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Carlos De Las Cuevas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dermatology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Emilio J Sanz
- Department of Physical Medicine and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Universidad de La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain; Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Jose de Leon
- Mental Health Research Center at Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, KY, United States of America; Biomedical Research Centre in Mental Health Net (CIBERSAM), Santiago Apostol Hospital, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain.
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Kirilochev O, Chumakov E, Kuzo N, Schoretsanitis G. A scoping review of literature on clozapine from former USSR states published in Russian language. Schizophr Res 2024; 268:38-47. [PMID: 37741739 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Access to literature on clozapine in Russian language remains strikingly limited. We aimed to identify and translate clinical evidence on clozapine-based treatment outcomes. METHODS We performed a systematic review in PubMed, Embase and scientific indexes from former USSR states searching for articles published in Russian from the database inception till January 2023 and summarized the data in a scoping review (PROSPERO Reg. Number CRD42023386737). RESULTS A total of 60 papers were included comprising eight main topic categories: 1) clozapine-related intoxications (n = 20), 2) effectiveness/efficacy and safety of clozapine treatment (n = 14), 3) adverse drug-induced reactions (ADRs) related to clozapine treatment (n = 9), 4) therapeutic drug monitoring for clozapine (n = 5), 5) combination of clozapine and non-pharmacological treatments (n = 4), 6) pharmacoepidemiology of clozapine (n = 3), 7) effects of clozapine on the brain electrical activity (n = 3), and 8) novel clozapine formulations (n = 2). Among clozapine-related intoxications there were reports of criminal poisoning, which was associated with low lethality. Worse outcomes were accompanied by systemic reactions to intoxications. Clinical benefits of hemoadsorption were reported in the management of clozapine-related intoxications. Only half of studies reporting clozapine effectiveness used standardized scales to assess outcomes. Clozapine superiority in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) was replicated in one trial. No reports of clozapine-related agranulocytosis were identified. Clozapine ranked among most prescribed antipsychotics for TRS and non-TRS. CONCLUSIONS As clinical research in former USSR states is advancing to adopt western clinical research standards, comparability and extrapolation of findings is expected to increase, with transfer of older findings to clinical practice being particularly challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Kirilochev
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Astrakhan State Medical University, Astrakhan, Russian Federation.
| | - Egor Chumakov
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Nazar Kuzo
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatry University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Georgios Schoretsanitis
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatry University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
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15
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Tanzer T, Pham B, Warren N, Barras M, Kisely S, Siskind D. Overcoming clozapine's adverse events: a narrative review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2024. [PMID: 38814794 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2024.2362796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Clozapine is the gold standard treatment for treatment resistant schizophrenia, however adverse events remain a clinical challenge. AREAS COVERED This review presents a narrative synthesis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses that have reported the onset, incidence, prevalence, and management of clozapine's adverse events. We conducted a systematic literature search using PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, OvidMEDLINE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception to April 2024. EXPERT OPINION Effective management of clozapine's adverse events necessitates multi-faceted, individualized, and shared-decision strategies. Despite a lack of high-quality systematic evidence, expert inter-disciplinary solutions are provided to help address a critical need for clinical guidance. This 35-year update offers an evidence-based framework to assist clinicians, patients, and caregivers navigate the adverse events associated with clozapine therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Tanzer
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Department of Pharmacy, Brisbane, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Betty Pham
- Metro South Community and Oral Health, Department of Pharmacy, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nicola Warren
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Michael Barras
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Department of Pharmacy, Brisbane, Australia
- School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Steve Kisely
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Dan Siskind
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, Australia
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16
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Cederlöf E, Holm M, Taipale H, Tiihonen J, Tanskanen A, Lähteenvuo M, Lahdensuo K, Kampman O, Wegelius A, Isometsä E, Kieseppä T, Palotie A, Suvisaari J, Paunio T. Antipsychotic medications and sleep problems in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2024; 267:230-238. [PMID: 38579432 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sleep problems are common and related to a worse quality of life in patients with schizophrenia. Almost all patients with schizophrenia use antipsychotic medications, which usually increase sleep. Still, the differences in subjective sleep outcomes between different antipsychotic medications are not entirely clear. METHODS This study assessed 5466 patients with schizophrenia and is part of the nationwide Finnish SUPER study. We examined how the five most common antipsychotic medications (clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole, and risperidone) associate with questionnaire-based sleep problems in logistic regression analyses, including head-to-head analyses between different antipsychotic medications. The sleep problems were difficulties initiating sleep, early morning awakenings, fatigue, poor sleep quality, short (≤6 h) and long sleep duration (≥10 h). RESULTS The average number of antipsychotic medications was 1.59 per patient. Clozapine was associated with long sleep duration (49.0 % of clozapine users vs 30.2 % of other patients, OR = 2.05, 95 % CI 1.83-2.30, p < .001). Olanzapine and risperidone were in head-to-head analyses associated with less sleep problems than patients using aripiprazole, quetiapine, or no antipsychotic medication. Aripiprazole and quetiapine were associated with more insomnia symptoms and poorer sleep quality. Patients without antipsychotic medications (N = 159) had poorer sleep quality than patients with antipsychotic use, and short sleep duration was common (21.5 % of patients not using antipsychotics vs 7.8 % of patients using antipsychotics, OR = 2.97, 95 % CI 1.98-4.44, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Prevalence of sleep problems is markedly related to the antipsychotic medication the patient uses. These findings underline the importance of considering and assessing sleep problems when treating schizophrenia patients with antipsychotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Cederlöf
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland; SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland.
| | - Minna Holm
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland
| | - Heidi Taipale
- Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Niuvanniemi Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
| | | | | | | | - Kaisla Lahdensuo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
| | - Olli Kampman
- University of Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Finland; University of Turku, Faculty of Medicine, Finland; The Pirkanmaa Wellbeing Services County, Department of Psychiatry, Tampere, Finland; Umeå University, Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry, Sweden; The Wellbeing Services County of Ostrobothnia, Department of Psychiatry, Finland
| | - Asko Wegelius
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
| | - Erkki Isometsä
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
| | | | | | | | - Tiina Paunio
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland; SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
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17
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Hode Y, Padovani R, Hikmat W, Guillard-Bouhet N, Attal J, Bralet MC, Biotteau M, Chereau Boudet I, Canceil O, Montagne Larmurier A, Roussel C, Lemestré S, Willard D. Family psychoeducation in schizophrenia and schizophrenia related disorder, treatment compliance, and suicidal risk reduction: questions about their relationship from a naturalistic observation. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1370566. [PMID: 38638418 PMCID: PMC11024790 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1370566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The Profamille V3.2 multi-family psycho-educational program directed at caregivers of relatives with schizophrenia or schizophrenia related disorder has been shown to decrease the annual prevalence of suicide attempts. It has been reported that psychoeducation of families can sometimes improve compliance with treatment. This study investigates whether the Profamille program improves compliance and thus reduces the risk of suicide among patients. Method This is a retrospective study of 179 groups of family caregivers, encompassing 1946 participants enrolled in Module 1 of the Profamille program and followed up one year after completion of the module. Evaluations were conducted using questionnaires filled out by family caregivers at three distinct times: prior to beginning the program, upon its completion, and again one year following its conclusion. The annual prevalence of suicide attempts was measured both before the program began and one year after its conclusion, while compliance to treatment was evaluated at the start and end of the program. Result After the Profamille program, the annual prevalence of suicide attempts fell by a factor of 2 (p-value = 0.00002) and patient compliance improved (p-value <0.000001). This reduction in suicide attempts was observed independently of improved compliance. Compliance seems to have an additional effect, but only after participation in the program. Conclusion The Profamille program reduces patients' risk of suicide even when patients are not taking the treatment. When family psychoeducation is not proposed in schizophrenia or schizophrenia related disorder, this can represent a loss of chance for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Hode
- Association Psychoeducation PROFAMILLE, Chatenois, France
| | | | - Wydad Hikmat
- Psychiatric Hospital of Kelaa Sraghna, Ministry of Health, Morocco, Kelâa des Sraghna, Morocco
| | - Nathalie Guillard-Bouhet
- CREATIV Centre de REhabilitation et d'Activités Thérapeutiques Intersectoriel de la Vienne, Centre Hospitalier Henri Laborit, Poitiers, France
| | - Jérome Attal
- La Colombière, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie-Cecile Bralet
- CRISALID-HDF (Department Support of cognitive remediation and psychosocial rehabilitation- South Hauts de France area), Etablissement Public de Santé Mentale Oise, Clermont de l Oise, France
- INSERM Unit Research 1247 GRAP, Picardie Jules Vernes University, Amiens, France
- GDR 3557 Research network, Addiction and Psychiatry, Paris, France
- Centre Hospitalier Isarien, Clermont de l’Oise, France
| | | | - Isabelle Chereau Boudet
- Centre Expert Schizophrenie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont Ferrand, France
| | - Olivier Canceil
- Fondation Santé des Etudiants de France, Paris, France
- Sante Mentale France, Paris, France
| | | | - Céline Roussel
- Centre Hospitalier Annecy Genevois (CH Annecy), Metz-Tessy, France
| | - Stéphanie Lemestré
- Association de psychoéducation des Familles Profamille Liège Belgique, Liège, Belgium
| | - Dominique Willard
- Pôle PEPIT (Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire d’Evaluation Prévention et Innovation Thérapeutique), Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris psychiatrie et neurosciences, Paris, France
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18
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Kämpe A, Suvisaari J, Lähteenvuo M, Singh T, Ahola-Olli A, Urpa L, Haaki W, Hietala J, Isometsä E, Jukuri T, Kampman O, Kieseppä T, Lahdensuo K, Lönnqvist J, Männynsalo T, Paunio T, Niemi-Pynttäri J, Suokas K, Tuulio-Henriksson A, Veijola J, Wegelius A, Daly M, Taylor J, Kendler KS, Palotie A, Pietiläinen O. Genetic contribution to disease-course severity and progression in the SUPER-Finland study, a cohort of 10,403 individuals with psychotic disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02516-6. [PMID: 38556557 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02516-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Genetic factors contribute to the susceptibility of psychotic disorders, but less is known how they affect psychotic disease-course development. Utilizing polygenic scores (PGSs) in combination with longitudinal healthcare data with decades of follow-up we investigated the contributing genetics to psychotic disease-course severity and diagnostic shifts in the SUPER-Finland study, encompassing 10 403 genotyped individuals with a psychotic disorder. To longitudinally track the study participants' past disease-course severity, we created a psychiatric hospitalization burden metric using the full-coverage and nation-wide Finnish in-hospital registry (data from 1969 and onwards). Using a hierarchical model, ranking the psychotic diagnoses according to clinical severity, we show that high schizophrenia PGS (SZ-PGS) was associated with progression from lower ranked psychotic disorders to schizophrenia (OR = 1.32 [1.23-1.43], p = 1.26e-12). This development manifested already at psychotic illness onset as a higher psychiatric hospitalization burden, the proxy for disease-course severity. In schizophrenia (n = 5 479), both a high SZ-PGS and a low educational attainment PGS (EA-PGS) were associated with increased psychiatric hospitalization burden (p = 1.00e-04 and p = 4.53e-10). The SZ-PGS and the EA-PGS associated with distinct patterns of hospital usage. In individuals with high SZ-PGS, the increased hospitalization burden was composed of longer individual hospital stays, while low EA-PGS associated with shorter but more frequent hospital visits. The negative effect of a low EA-PGS was found to be partly mediated via substance use disorder, a major risk factor for hospitalizations. In conclusion, we show that high SZ-PGS and low EA-PGS both impacted psychotic disease-course development negatively but resulted in different disease-course trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Kämpe
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Molecular Medicine and surgery (MMK), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jaana Suvisaari
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markku Lähteenvuo
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland School of Medicine, Niuvanniemi hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tarjinder Singh
- Broad Institute, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ari Ahola-Olli
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lea Urpa
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Willehard Haaki
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jarmo Hietala
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Erkki Isometsä
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tuomas Jukuri
- Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Olli Kampman
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, The Wellbeing Services County of Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia, Finland
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Medicine (Psychiatry), Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Tuula Kieseppä
- Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Jouko Lönnqvist
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Teemu Männynsalo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tiina Paunio
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jussi Niemi-Pynttäri
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kimmo Suokas
- Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | | | - Juha Veijola
- Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Asko Wegelius
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mark Daly
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Broad Institute, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute Harvard, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jacob Taylor
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Medicine, Boston, USA
| | - Kenneth S Kendler
- Virginia Institute of Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Richmond, VA, USA
- Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Psychiatry, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Aarno Palotie
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Broad Institute, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Olli Pietiläinen
- Broad Institute, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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19
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Mostafa S, Rafizadeh R, Polasek TM, Bousman CA, Rostami‐Hodjegan A, Stowe R, Carrion P, Sheffield LJ, Kirkpatrick CMJ. Virtual twins for model-informed precision dosing of clozapine in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol 2024; 13:424-436. [PMID: 38243630 PMCID: PMC10941576 DOI: 10.1002/psp4.13093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Model-informed precision dosing using virtual twins (MIPD-VTs) is an emerging strategy to predict target drug concentrations in clinical practice. Using a high virtualization MIPD-VT approach (Simcyp version 21), we predicted the steady-state clozapine concentration and clozapine dosage range to achieve a target concentration of 350 to 600 ng/mL in hospitalized patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (N = 11). We confirmed that high virtualization MIPD-VT can reasonably predict clozapine concentrations in individual patients with a coefficient of determination (R2 ) ranging between 0.29 and 0.60. Importantly, our approach predicted the final dosage range to achieve the desired target clozapine concentrations in 73% of patients. In two thirds of patients treated with fluvoxamine augmentation, steady-state clozapine concentrations were overpredicted two to four-fold. This work supports the application of a high virtualization MIPD-VT approach to inform the titration of clozapine doses in clinical practice. However, refinement is required to improve the prediction of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions, particularly with fluvoxamine augmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Mostafa
- Centre for Medicine Use and SafetyMonash UniversityParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- MyDNA Life Australia LimitedVictoriaAustralia
| | - Reza Rafizadeh
- BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, BC Psychosis ProgramLower Mainland Pharmacy ServicesVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Thomas M. Polasek
- Centre for Medicine Use and SafetyMonash UniversityParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- CertaraPrincetonNew JerseyUSA
- Department of Clinical PharmacologyRoyal Adelaide HospitalAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Chad A. Bousman
- Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry CentreUniversity of Melbourne and Melbourne HealthMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of MedicineUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of MedicineUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
- Departments of Medical Genetics, Psychiatry, Physiology and Pharmacology, and Community Health SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | - Amin Rostami‐Hodjegan
- Centre for Applied Pharmacokinetic Research (CAPKR), School of Health SciencesUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
- Simcyp DivisionCertara UK LimitedSheffieldUK
| | - Robert Stowe
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Djavid Mowafaghian Centre for Brain HealthUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of Neurology (Medicine)University of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Prescilla Carrion
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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20
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Solmi M, Croatto G, Fornaro M, Schneider LK, Rohani-Montez SC, Fairley L, Smith N, Bitter I, Gorwood P, Taipale H, Tiihonen J, Cortese S, Dragioti E, Rietz ED, Nielsen RE, Firth J, Fusar-Poli P, Hartman C, Holt RIG, Høye A, Koyanagi A, Larsson H, Lehto K, Lindgren P, Manchia M, Nordentoft M, Skonieczna-Żydecka K, Stubbs B, Vancampfort D, Boyer L, De Prisco M, Vieta E, Correll CU. Regional differences in mortality risk and in attenuating or aggravating factors in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 80:55-69. [PMID: 38368796 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
People with schizophrenia die prematurely, yet regional differences are unclear. PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic review/random-effects meta-analysis of cohort studies assessing mortality relative risk (RR) versus any control group, and moderators, in people with ICD/DSM-defined schizophrenia, comparing countries and continents. We conducted subgroup, meta-regression analyses, and quality assessment. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were suicide-, /natural-cause- and other-cause-related mortality. We included 135 studies from Europe (n = 70), North-America (n = 29), Asia (n = 33), Oceania (n = 2), Africa (n = 1). In incident plus prevalent schizophrenia, differences across continents emerged for all-cause mortality (highest in Africa, RR=5.98, 95 %C.I.=4.09-8.74, k = 1, lowest in North-America, RR=2.14, 95 %C.I.=1.92-2.38, k = 16), suicide (highest in Oceania, RR=13.5, 95 %C.I.=10.08-18.07, k = 1, lowest in North-America, RR=4.4, 95 %C.I.=4.07-4.76, k = 6), but not for natural-cause mortality. Europe had the largest association between antipsychotics and lower all-cause mortality/suicide (Asia had the smallest or no significant association, respectively), without differences for natural-cause mortality. Higher country socio-demographic index significantly moderated larger suicide-related and smaller natural-cause-related mortality risk in incident schizophrenia, with reversed associations in prevalent schizophrenia. Antipsychotics had a larger/smaller protective association in incident/prevalent schizophrenia regarding all-cause mortality, and smaller protective association for suicide-related mortality in prevalent schizophrenia. Additional regional differences emerged in incident schizophrenia, across countries, and secondary outcomes. Significant regional differences emerged for all-cause, cause-specific and suicide-related mortality. Natural-cause death was homogeneously increased globally. Moderators differed across countries. Global initiatives are needed to improve physical health in people with schizophrenia, local studies to identify actionable moderators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Solmi
- SCIENCES lab, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Mental Health, Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) Clinical Epidemiology Program, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Giovanni Croatto
- Mental Health Department, AULSS 3 Serenissima, Mestre, Venice, Italy
| | - Michele Fornaro
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science, and Dentistry, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - István Bitter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Philip Gorwood
- INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences of Paris (IPNP), Paris, France; GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences (CMME, Sainte-Anne Hospital), Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Heidi Taipale
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm City Council, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jari Tiihonen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm City Council, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Samuele Cortese
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Solent NHS Trust, Southampton, UK; Clinical and Experimental Sciences (CNS and Psychiatry), Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York University Child Study Center, New York, NY, USA; DiMePRe-J-Department of Precision and Rigenerative Medicine-Jonic Area, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Elena Dragioti
- Research Laboratory Psychology of Patients, Families, and Health Professionals, Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece; Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ebba Du Rietz
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rene Ernst Nielsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark; Department of Psychiatry, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Joseph Firth
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College, London, UK; Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy; Outreach and Support in South-London (OASIS) service, South London and Maudlsey (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust, UK; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Catharina Hartman
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Centre Psychopathology and Emotion regulation
| | - Richard I G Holt
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Anne Høye
- Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway and Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Ai Koyanagi
- Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Dr. Antoni Pujadas, 42, Sant Boi de Llobregat, 08830, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Henrik Larsson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Kelli Lehto
- Estonian Genome Centre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Peter Lindgren
- Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; The Swedish Institute for Health Economics, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mirko Manchia
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Merete Nordentoft
- Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Department of Clinical Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
| | | | - Brendon Stubbs
- Physiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Davy Vancampfort
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; University Psychiatric Centre KU Leuven, Kortenberg, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laurent Boyer
- AP-HM, Aix-Marseille Univ., CEReSS-Health Service Research and Quality of Life Center, Marseille, France; FondaMental Foundation, Creteil, France
| | - Michele De Prisco
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Eduard Vieta
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Christoph U Correll
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
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21
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Smessaert S, Detraux J, Desplenter F, De Hert M. Evaluating Monitoring Guidelines of Clozapine-Induced Adverse Effects: a Systematic Review. CNS Drugs 2024; 38:105-123. [PMID: 38236524 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-023-01054-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Despite the evidence that no other antipsychotic is effective as clozapine for the treatment of resistant schizophrenia, it is associated with various metabolic, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal adverse effects. Guidelines aiming to address the monitoring of clozapine's (serious) adverse effects can be helpful to prevent and treat these effects. However, many of these guidelines seem to lack one or more important monitoring recommendations. We aimed to systematically review the content and quality of existing monitoring guidelines/recommendations for clozapine-induced adverse effects. METHODS A comprehensive and systematic literature search, using the MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases, was conducted for guidelines/recommendations on the monitoring of clozapine-induced adverse events, published between January 2004 and April 2023 (last search 16 April 2023). Only peer-reviewed published guidelines reporting on the comprehensive monitoring of all major clozapine-induced adverse effects and including evidence-based recommendations, developed after the year 2004, were included. Studies reporting on the monitoring of adverse effects of clozapine without being a formal guideline, guidelines reporting on the monitoring of one or a limited number of adverse effects of clozapine, guidelines that were not peer reviewed or published, expert opinion papers without formal consensus guideline development, or guidelines developed before the year 2004, were excluded. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE-II) tool was used to evaluate the guidelines/recommendations' quality. RESULTS Only one guideline met the inclusion criteria. This consensus statement made recommendations for hematological monitoring, and the monitoring of metabolic, cardiac, and three other adverse effects. Highest scores for the qualitative assessment were found for the domains "scope and purpose" (66.7%), "clarity of presentation" (44.4%), and "editorial independence" (66.7%). Lowest scores were found for "rigor of development" (14.6%) and "applicability" (0%). CONCLUSIONS Future guidelines should develop more comprehensive recommendations about specific clozapine-induced adverse effects, including constipation, myocarditis, tachycardia, and seizures, as well as include a rechallenge policy. There is an urgent need for well-developed, methodologically stringent, guidelines. REGISTRATION PROSPERO registration number, CRD42023402480.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Smessaert
- University Psychiatric Center Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuvensesteenweg 517, 3070, Kortenberg, Belgium.
| | - Johan Detraux
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Research Group Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuvensesteenweg 517, 3070, Kortenberg, Belgium
| | - Franciska Desplenter
- University Psychiatric Center Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuvensesteenweg 517, 3070, Kortenberg, Belgium
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marc De Hert
- University Psychiatric Center Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuvensesteenweg 517, 3070, Kortenberg, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, Centre for Clinical Psychiatry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Antwerp Health Law and Ethics Chair, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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22
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Jakobsen MI, Austin SF, Storebø OJ, Nielsen J, Simonsen E. Non-prescribing of clozapine for outpatients with schizophrenia in real-world settings: The clinicians' perspectives. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 9:91. [PMID: 38135678 PMCID: PMC10746712 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-023-00423-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Clozapine is the gold standard for treating treatment-resistant schizophrenia although continuously underutilized. Previous surveys of clinicians have found that some of the most frequently cited barriers to clozapine prescribing are related to the blood-monitoring requirements. However, these surveys tend to explore general perspectives and may not reflect the true impact of different barriers in real-world outpatient settings. This study aimed to explore this issue. First, by surveying the clinicians responsible for the treatment of 39 clozapine-eligible, yet clozapine-naive, outpatients with schizophrenia. Then, based on the survey results, explanatory interviews with the participating psychiatrists were conducted and analyzed thematically. The most frequently cited reason for non-prescribing of clozapine was the expected non-compliance with blood-monitoring requirements; however, overall stability and/or severe mental illness was chosen as the most important reason in most patient-cases. The qualitative analysis highlighted the combined impact of standard clinical practice, personal experiences, and organizational constraints on clozapine utility.
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Grants
- This study is part of a PhD project funded by the Mental Health Services of Region Zealand Psychiatry East, Roskilde, Denmark, The Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand Psychiatry, Slagelse, Denmark, and the Psychiatric Centre Glostrup, Unit for Complicated Schizophrenia, the Mental Health Services of The Capital Region of Denmark, in collaboration. Due to the funding by the Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand Psychiatry, the study is partially funded by a private donation favoring patient-oriented research within the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Iris Jakobsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Psychiatric Research Unit East, Mental Health Services East, Region Zealand Psychiatry, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Stephen Fitzgerald Austin
- Psychiatric Research Unit East, Mental Health Services East, Region Zealand Psychiatry, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand Psychiatry, Slagelse, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Science, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Ole Jakob Storebø
- The Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand Psychiatry, Slagelse, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Science, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jimmi Nielsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Psychiatric Centre Glostrup, Unit for Complicated Schizophrenia, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Erik Simonsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Psychiatric Research Unit East, Mental Health Services East, Region Zealand Psychiatry, Roskilde, Denmark
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23
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Barnett MM, Reay WR, Geaghan MP, Kiltschewskij DJ, Green MJ, Weidenhofer J, Glatt SJ, Cairns MJ. miRNA cargo in circulating vesicles from neurons is altered in individuals with schizophrenia and associated with severe disease. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi4386. [PMID: 38019909 PMCID: PMC10686555 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi4386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
While RNA expression appears to be altered in several brain disorders, the constraints of postmortem analysis make it impractical for well-powered population studies and biomarker development. Given that the unique molecular composition of neurons are reflected in their extracellular vesicles (EVs), we hypothesized that the fractionation of neuron derived EVs provides an opportunity to specifically profile their encapsulated contents noninvasively from blood. To investigate this hypothesis, we determined miRNA expression in microtubule associated protein 1B (MAP1B)-enriched serum EVs derived from neurons from a large cohort of individuals with schizophrenia and nonpsychiatric comparison participants. We observed dysregulation of miRNA in schizophrenia subjects, in particular those with treatment-resistance and severe cognitive deficits. These data support the hypothesis that schizophrenia is associated with alterations in posttranscriptional regulation of synaptic gene expression and provides an example of the potential utility of tissue-specific EV analysis in brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M. Barnett
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Precision Medicine Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW 2305, Australia
| | - William R. Reay
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Precision Medicine Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW 2305, Australia
| | - Michael P. Geaghan
- Kinghorn Centre for Clinical Genomics, Garvan Medical Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Dylan J. Kiltschewskij
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Precision Medicine Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW 2305, Australia
| | - Melissa J. Green
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Judith Weidenhofer
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Stephen J. Glatt
- Psychiatric Genetic Epidemiology and Neurobiology Laboratory (PsychGENe lab), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Murray J. Cairns
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
- Precision Medicine Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW 2305, Australia
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24
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van der Horst MZ, Meijer Y, de Boer N, Guloksuz S, Hasan A, Siskind D, Wagner E, Okhuijsen-Pfeifer C, Luykx JJ. Comprehensive dissection of prevalence rates, sex differences, and blood level-dependencies of clozapine-associated adverse drug reactions. Psychiatry Res 2023; 330:115539. [PMID: 37988817 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Clozapine is often underused due to concerns about adverse drug reactions (ADRs) but studies into their prevalences are inconclusive. We therefore comprehensively examined prevalences of clozapine-associated ADRs in individuals with schizophrenia and demographic and clinical factors associated with their occurrence. Data from a multi-center study (n = 698 participants) were collected. The mean number of ADRs during clozapine treatment was 4.8, with 2.4 % of participants reporting no ADRs. The most common ADRs were hypersalivation (74.6 %), weight gain (69.3 %), and increased sleep necessity (65.9 %), all of which were more common in younger participants. Participants with lower BMI prior to treatment were more likely to experience significant weight gain (>10 %). Constipation occurred more frequently with higher clozapine blood levels and doses. There were no differences in ADR prevalence rates between participants receiving clozapine monotherapy and polytherapy. These findings emphasize the high prevalence of clozapine-associated ADRs and highlight several demographic and clinical factors contributing to their occurrence. By understanding these factors, clinicians can better anticipate and manage clozapine-associated ADRs, leading to improved treatment outcomes and patient well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marte Z van der Horst
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands,; GGNet, Warnsveld, the Netherlands.
| | - Yoeki Meijer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Nini de Boer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sinan Guloksuz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Alkomiet Hasan
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Dan Siskind
- Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Elias Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany; Evidence-based Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | | | - Jurjen J Luykx
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands,; GGNet, Warnsveld, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Chrétien B, Brazo P, Da Silva A, Sassier M, Dolladille C, Lelong-Boulouard V, Alexandre J, Fedrizzi S. Infections associated with clozapine: a pharmacovigilance study using VigiBase ®. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1260915. [PMID: 37849735 PMCID: PMC10577313 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1260915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Clozapine is primarily reserved for treatment-resistant schizophrenia due to safety concerns associated with its use. Infections have been reported with clozapine, which may lead to elevated serum levels of the drug. However, the existing literature on this topic is limited. Therefore, we conducted a study using VigiBase® to investigate the potential over-reporting of infections associated with clozapine, to explore the presence of dose-dependency, and to investigate the underlying mechanism. Methods: Disproportionality analyses were performed using VigiBase to assess the association between clozapine and all types of infections, the association between clozapine-associated infections and neutropenia, the association between clozapine-associated infections and agranulocytosis, the dose-effect relationship between clozapine and infections, and the interaction between clozapine and the main strong CYP450 inhibitors using reports carried out until 11 April 2023. Results: A statistically significant signal of infections was observed with clozapine, as indicated by an information component of 0.43 [95% CI: (0.41-0.45)]. The most commonly reported infections were respiratory and gastrointestinal in nature. Neutropenia showed weaker association with clozapine-associated reports of infections compared to other clozapine-associated reports [X2 (1, N = 204,073) = 454; p < 0.005], while agranulocytosis demonstrated a stronger association with clozapine-associated reports of infections [X2 (1, N = 204,073) = 56; p < 0.005]. No evidence of dose-dependency was observed. Among the 17 tested CYP inhibitors, significant drug-drug interactions were found with clarithromycin, metronidazole, valproic acid, lansoprazole, omeprazole, amiodarone, and esomeprazole. Discussion: Our study revealed a significant safety signal between clozapine use and infections, predominantly respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. The co-administration of clozapine with valproic acid or proton pump inhibitors may potentially contribute to an increased risk of infection. Further vigilance is warranted in clinical practice, and consideration of therapeutic drug monitoring of clozapine in cases involving concomitant use of these drugs or in the presence of infections may be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basile Chrétien
- Department of Pharmacology, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France
| | - Perrine Brazo
- Department of Psychiatry, Esquirol Center, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, EA7466, Imagerie et Stratégies Thérapeutiques de la Schizophrénie (ISTS), Caen, France
| | | | - Marion Sassier
- Department of Pharmacology, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France
| | - Charles Dolladille
- Department of Pharmacology, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France
- Normandy University, UNICAEN, Inserm U1086 Anticipe, Caen, France
| | - Véronique Lelong-Boulouard
- Department of Pharmacology, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France
- Normandy University, UNICAEN, UFR Santé, INSERM UMR 1075, COMETE-MOBILITES “Vieillissement, Pathologie, Santé”, Caen, France
| | - Joachim Alexandre
- Department of Pharmacology, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, EA7466, Imagerie et Stratégies Thérapeutiques de la Schizophrénie (ISTS), Caen, France
| | - Sophie Fedrizzi
- Department of Pharmacology, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France
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Lei HJ, Wei XR, Li LX, Sun WJ, Chen HX, Li D, Xie L. Evaluation of the toxicity of clozapine on the freshwater diatom Navicula sp. using the FTIR spectroscopy. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 337:139301. [PMID: 37379982 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Clozapine is an often prescribed neuroactive pharmaceutical and frequently detected in the aquatic environments. However, its toxicity on low trophic level species (i.e., diatoms) and associated mechanisms are seldom reported. In this study, the toxicity of clozapine on a widely distributed freshwater diatom Navicula sp. was evaluated using the FTIR spectroscopy along with biochemical analyses. The diatoms were exposed to various concentrations of clozapine (0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.10, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 5.00 mg/L) for 96 h. The results revealed that clozapine reached up to 392.8 μg/g in the cell wall and 550.4 μg/g within the cells at 5.00 mg/L, suggesting that clozapine could be adsorbed extracellularly and accumulated intracellularly in diatoms. In addition, hormetic effects were displayed on the growth and photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and carotenoid) of Navicula sp., with a promotive effect at concentrations less than 1.00 mg/L while an inhibited effect at concentrations over 2 mg/L. Clozapine induced oxidative stress in Navicula sp., accompanied by decreased levels of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (>0.05 mg/L), in which, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) (at 5.00 mg/L) was increased whereas the activity of catalase (CAT) (>0.05 mg/L) was decreased. Furthermore, FTIR spectroscopic analysis showed that exposure to clozapine resulted in accumulation of lipid peroxidation products, increased sparse β-sheet structures, and altered DNA structures in Navicula sp. This study can facilitate the ecological risk assessment of clozapine in the aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Jun Lei
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Xin-Rong Wei
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Li-Xia Li
- 801 Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Jinan, 250014, China; Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environmental Protection and Remediation on Groundwater, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Wei-Jun Sun
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Hong-Xing Chen
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Dan Li
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Lingtian Xie
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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Laforgue EJ, Istvan M, Chaslerie A, Artarit P, Vallot G, Jolliet P, Grall-Bronnec M, Victorri-Vigneau C. Characterization of antipsychotic utilization before clozapine initiation for individuals with schizophrenia: an innovative visualization of trajectories using French National Health Insurance data. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 2023; 32:e59. [PMID: 37723967 PMCID: PMC10539739 DOI: 10.1017/s2045796023000732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Despite recommendations to initiate clozapine after two unsuccessful trials of antipsychotics, clozapine is underprescribed and initiated too late. The aim of this study was to describe different antipsychotic treatment sequences in the 36 months before the initiation of clozapine and to characterize clusters of treatment trajectories. METHODS Using the French National Health Insurance database, a historical cohort study of the population in an area in western France was performed. The data from all new users of clozapine with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder in the period of 2017-2018 were evaluated. All outpatient reimbursements for antipsychotics during the 36 months before clozapine initiation were analysed. Successive reimbursements for identical treatments were grouped into treatment trials (TTs), and different trajectories were clustered using a state sequence analysis. RESULTS The results showed 1191 TTs for 287 individuals. The mean number of TTs per individual was 3.2. Risperidone, aripiprazole and haloperidol were the main treatments delivered. The frequencies of antipsychotics used differed between monotherapies and combination therapies. A three-cluster typology was identified: one cluster (n = 133) of 'less treated' younger individuals with fewer TTs and shorter TT durations; a second cluster (n = 53) of 'more treated' individuals with higher numbers of TTs and combinations of antipsychotics; and a third cluster (n = 103) of 'treatment-stable' older individuals with longer TT durations. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that the median number of TTs during the 36 months before clozapine prescription was higher than the two recommended. The different trajectories were associated with individual characteristics and treatment differences, suggesting that additional studies of clinical parameters are needed to understand barriers to clozapine prescription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edouard-Jules Laforgue
- CHU Nantes, Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Nantes Université, Nantes, France
- CHU Nantes, INSERM, MethodS in Patient-Centered Outcomes and HEalth ResEarch, SPHERE, INSERM, Methods in Patient-Centered Outcomes and Health Research, SPHERE, Nantes Université, Univ Tours, Nantes, France
| | - Marion Istvan
- CHU Nantes, Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Nantes Université, Nantes, France
- CHU Nantes, INSERM, MethodS in Patient-Centered Outcomes and HEalth ResEarch, SPHERE, INSERM, Methods in Patient-Centered Outcomes and Health Research, SPHERE, Nantes Université, Univ Tours, Nantes, France
| | - Anicet Chaslerie
- Medical Department, Regional Health Insurance Pays de la Loire, Nantes, France
| | - Pascal Artarit
- Medical Department, Regional Health Insurance Pays de la Loire, Nantes, France
| | - Geneviève Vallot
- Medical Department, Regional Health Insurance Pays de la Loire, Nantes, France
| | - Pascale Jolliet
- CHU Nantes, Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Nantes Université, Nantes, France
- CHU Nantes, INSERM, MethodS in Patient-Centered Outcomes and HEalth ResEarch, SPHERE, INSERM, Methods in Patient-Centered Outcomes and Health Research, SPHERE, Nantes Université, Univ Tours, Nantes, France
| | - Marie Grall-Bronnec
- CHU Nantes, INSERM, MethodS in Patient-Centered Outcomes and HEalth ResEarch, SPHERE, INSERM, Methods in Patient-Centered Outcomes and Health Research, SPHERE, Nantes Université, Univ Tours, Nantes, France
- CHU Nantes, UIC Psychiatrie et Santé Mentale, Nantes Université, Nantes, France
| | - Caroline Victorri-Vigneau
- CHU Nantes, Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Nantes Université, Nantes, France
- CHU Nantes, INSERM, MethodS in Patient-Centered Outcomes and HEalth ResEarch, SPHERE, INSERM, Methods in Patient-Centered Outcomes and Health Research, SPHERE, Nantes Université, Univ Tours, Nantes, France
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28
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Hatano M, Kamei H, Takeuchi I, Gomi K, Sakakibara T, Hotta S, Esumi S, Tsubouchi K, Shimizu Y, Yamada S. Long-term outcomes of delayed clozapine initiation in treatment-resistant schizophrenia: a multicenter retrospective cohort study. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:673. [PMID: 37715155 PMCID: PMC10504791 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05176-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clozapine is the only antipsychotic medication with proven efficacy against treatment-resistant schizophrenia. This multicenter retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the impact of a delay in clozapine initiation on long-term outcomes. METHODS Patients who initiated clozapine treatment between July 2009 and December 2018 were included in this study. According to the length of time from the diagnosis of schizophrenia to clozapine initiation, the patients were categorized into one of three groups: early (≤ 9 years), intermediate (10-19 years), and late (≥ 20 years) initiation. The endpoints were psychiatric rehospitalization and all-cause clozapine discontinuation within 3 years. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using the Fine and Gray method or the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS The incidence rates of rehospitalization within three years, according to the cumulative incidence function, were 32.3% for early, 29.7% for intermediate, and 62.2% for late initiation, respectively. Late initiation had a significantly higher risk of psychiatric rehospitalization than early initiation (HR, 2.94; 95% CI, 1.01- 8.55; P = 0.016 by the Gray's test). The risk of psychiatric rehospitalization was not significantly different between the early and intermediate initiation groups. The incidence rate of all-cause clozapine discontinuation within three years using the Kaplan-Meier method was 13.0% for early, 10.6% for intermediate, and 20.1% for late initiation. The risk of all-cause clozapine discontinuation was not significantly among the groups. The late initiation group had more patients discontinuing because of death due to physical diseases than the other groups. CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that clozapine should be initiated promptly in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia to prevent psychiatric rehospitalization during long-term treatment. Further prospective studies with appropriate consideration of confounding factors and large sample sizes are needed to strengthen the evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masakazu Hatano
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics and Informatics, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.
- Office of Clinical Pharmacy Practice and Health Care Management, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Kamei
- Office of Clinical Pharmacy Practice and Health Care Management, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ippei Takeuchi
- Office of Clinical Pharmacy Practice and Health Care Management, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Okehazama Hospital, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Gomi
- Office of Clinical Pharmacy Practice and Health Care Management, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
- Nagano Prefectural Mental Wellness Center Komagane, Komagane, Japan
| | - Takashi Sakakibara
- Office of Clinical Pharmacy Practice and Health Care Management, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Holy Cross Hospital, Toki, Japan
| | - Shogo Hotta
- Department of Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Satoru Esumi
- Department of Pharmacy, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan
- The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University, Kobe, Japan
| | | | - Yoshihito Shimizu
- Department of Pharmacy, Kanazawa Medical University Hospital, Kahoku, Japan
| | - Shigeki Yamada
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics and Informatics, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
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29
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Berger SJ, Hofer A. [Safety aspects during treatment with clozapine: : Adverse effects, titration, and therapeutic drug monitoring - a narrative review]. NEUROPSYCHIATRIE : KLINIK, DIAGNOSTIK, THERAPIE UND REHABILITATION : ORGAN DER GESELLSCHAFT OSTERREICHISCHER NERVENARZTE UND PSYCHIATER 2023; 37:122-129. [PMID: 37349671 PMCID: PMC10491532 DOI: 10.1007/s40211-023-00474-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND According to current guidelines, clozapine should be used as a third step in treatment resistant schizophrenia (TRS). In everyday clinical practice, however, it is frequently used at a much later stage, which leads to a significant deterioration of prognosis. The first part of this narrative overview focuses on the most frequent side effects of clozapine, on the relevance of slow titration, and on specific aspects of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). MATERIAL AND METHODS Medline, the Guideline for the use of clozapine 2013 of the Netherlands Clozapine Collaboration Group, and the S3 Guideline for Schizophrenia of the German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics were searched for relevant literature, the last query dating from April 28th, 2023. RESULTS Despite its unique efficacy clozapine is underused in clinical practice and prescription varies between and within countries. Next to hematological, metabolic, and vegetative side effects, clozapine induced inflammation manifesting in the form of pneumonia or myocarditis, which is mainly associated with rapid titration, represents a major clinical challenge with CRP monitoring being of particular relevance. In this context, it also has to be noted that sex, smoking behavior, and ethnic origin impact clozapine metabolism, thus requiring personalized dosing. CONCLUSION Slow titration when possible, TDM, and CYP diagnostics when appropriate increase patient safety during treatment with clozapine and thus the likelihood of early prescription of this compound in TRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan J Berger
- Department für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik und Medizinische Psychologie, Univ.-Klinik für Psychiatrie I, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Österreich
| | - Alex Hofer
- Department für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik und Medizinische Psychologie, Univ.-Klinik für Psychiatrie I, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Österreich.
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30
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Luykx JJ, Gonzalez-Diaz JM, Guu TW, van der Horst MZ, van Dellen E, Boks MP, Guloksuz S, DeLisi LE, Sommer IE, Cummins R, Shiers D, Lee J, Every-Palmer S, Mhalla A, Chadly Z, Chan SKW, Cotes RO, Takahashi S, Benros ME, Wagner E, Correll CU, Hasan A, Siskind D, Endres D, MacCabe J, Tiihonen J. An international research agenda for clozapine-resistant schizophrenia. Lancet Psychiatry 2023:S2215-0366(23)00109-8. [PMID: 37329895 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(23)00109-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Treatment-resistant symptoms occur in about a third of patients with schizophrenia and are associated with a substantial reduction in their quality of life. The development of new treatment options for clozapine-resistant schizophrenia constitutes a crucial, unmet need in psychiatry. Additionally, an overview of past and possible future research avenues to optimise the early detection, diagnosis, and management of clozapine-resistant schizophrenia is unavailable. In this Health Policy, we discuss the ongoing challenges associated with clozapine-resistant schizophrenia faced by patients and health-care providers worldwide to improve the understanding of this condition. We then revisit several clozapine guidelines, the diagnostic tests and treatment options for clozapine-resistant schizophrenia, and currently applied research approaches in clozapine-resistant schizophrenia. We also suggest methodologies and targets for future research, divided into innovative nosology-oriented field trials (eg, examining dimensional symptom staging), translational approaches (eg, genetics), epidemiological research (eg, real-world studies), and interventional studies (eg, non-traditional trial designs incorporating lived experiences and caregivers' perspectives). Finally, we note that low-income and middle-income countries are under-represented in studies on clozapine-resistant schizophrenia and propose an agenda to guide multinational research on the cause and treatment of clozapine-resistant schizophrenia. We hope that this research agenda will empower better global representation of patients living with clozapine-resistant schizophrenia and ultimately improve their functional outcomes and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jurjen J Luykx
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; GGNet Mental Health, Warnsveld, Netherlands.
| | - Jairo M Gonzalez-Diaz
- Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit, Neurosciences Institute, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; UR Center for Mental Health, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; Clínica Nuestra Señora de la Paz, Orden Hospitalaria de San Juan de Dios, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Ta-Wei Guu
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Division of Psychiatry, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Beigang Hospital, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Marte Z van der Horst
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; GGNet Mental Health, Warnsveld, Netherlands
| | - Edwin van Dellen
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; Department of Intensive Care Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; Department of Neurology, UZ Brussel and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Jette, Belgium
| | - Marco P Boks
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Sinan Guloksuz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lynn E DeLisi
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Iris E Sommer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | | | - David Shiers
- Psychosis Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Jimmy Lee
- Department of Psychosis, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore; Neuroscience and Mental Health, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Susanna Every-Palmer
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Ahmed Mhalla
- Department of Psychiatry, Fattouma Bourguiba Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Zohra Chadly
- Department of Pharmacology, Fattouma Bourguiba Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Sherry K W Chan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Robert O Cotes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shun Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan; Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Habikino, Japan; Clinical Research and Education Center, Asakayama General Hospital, Sakai, Japan; Department of Neuropsychiatry, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Michael E Benros
- Biological and Precision Psychiatry, Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elias Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christoph U Correll
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
| | - Alkomiet Hasan
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Augsburg, Medical Faculty, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Dan Siskind
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Dominique Endres
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - James MacCabe
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jari Tiihonen
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, and Center for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm City Council, Stockholm, Sweden
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Rubio JM, Guinart D, Kane JM, Correll CU. Early Non-Response to Antipsychotic Treatment in Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Evidence-Based Management Options. CNS Drugs 2023; 37:499-512. [PMID: 37261669 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-023-01009-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early non-response is a well-established prognostic marker but evidence-based and consistent recommendations to manage it are limited. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to generate evidence-based strategies for the management of schizophrenia patients with early non-response to 2 weeks of antipsychotic treatment. METHODS We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing antipsychotic dose escalation, switch, augmentation and continuation in individuals with study-defined early antipsychotic treatment non-response. Eligibility criteria were (1) clinical trials of primary psychosis treating for at least 2 weeks with antipsychotic monotherapy with study-defined operationalized criteria for early non-response; and (2) randomization to at least two of the following treatment strategies: dose escalation, switch, augmentation, or treatment continuation. Information sources were Pubmed, PsycINFO, and EMBASE, and risk of bias was assessed using Jadad scores. Results were synthesized using random-effects meta-analysis, comparing each intervention with treatment continuation for total symptom change as the primary outcome, generating standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Studies meeting the selection criteria but providing insufficient data for a meta-analysis were presented separately. RESULTS We screened 454 records by 1 August 2022, of which 12 individual datasets met the inclusion criteria, representing 947 research participants. Of those studies, five provided data to include in the meta-analysis (four with early non-response at 2 weeks, one at 3 weeks). Early non-response was defined within a timeline of 2 weeks in eight datasets, with the remaining datasets ranging between 3 and 4 weeks. The rates of early non-response ranged between 72.0 and 24.1%, and the endpoint ranged within 4-24 weeks post randomization. Quality was good (i.e., Jadad score of ≥3) in 8 of the 12 datasets. Overall, three studies compared antipsychotic switch versus continuation and two compared antipsychotic switch versus augmentation, in both cases without significant pooled between-group differences for total symptom severity (n = 149, SMD 0.18, 95% CI -0.14 to 0.5). Individually, two relatively large studies for antipsychotic switch versus continuation found small advantages for switching antipsychotics for total symptom severity (n = 149, SMD -0.49, 95% CI -1.05 to -0.06). One relatively large study found an advantage for dose escalation, although this finding has not been replicated and was not included in the meta-analysis. None of the alternatives included antipsychotic switch to clozapine. CONCLUSIONS Despite robust accuracy of early antipsychotic non-response predicting ultimate response, the evidence for treatment strategies that should be used for early non-response after 2-3 weeks is limited. While meta-analytic findings were non-significant, some individual studies suggest advantages of antipsychotic switch or dose escalation. Therefore, any conclusions should be interpreted carefully, given the insufficient high-quality evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose M Rubio
- The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Division of Psychiatry Research, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
- Institute of Behavioral Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
- Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Guinart
- The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Division of Psychiatry Research, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
- Institute of Behavioral Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
- Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Institut de Neuropsiquiatria i Addiccions (INAD), Hospital del Mar, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - John M Kane
- The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Division of Psychiatry Research, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
- Institute of Behavioral Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
- Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - Christoph U Correll
- The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Division of Psychiatry Research, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA.
- Institute of Behavioral Science, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA.
- Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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Bertoli S, Casetta C, Giordano B, D'Agostino A. A national pharmacovigilance study of haematological adverse drug reactions to clozapine vs other second-generation antipsychotics in Italy. Schizophr Res 2023; 257:25-26. [PMID: 37244166 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Bertoli
- Hospital Pharmacy, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Cecilia Casetta
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; National Psychosis Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Barbara Giordano
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Milan, Italy
| | - Armando D'Agostino
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Milan, Italy; Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
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John AP, Stanley S, Haywood D. Rates and Reasons for Clozapine Treatment Interruptions: Impact of the Frequency of Hematologic Monitoring and Cardiac Adverse Events. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 43:233-238. [PMID: 37126829 DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0000000000001673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Differing rates and reasons for interruptions of clozapine treatment have been reported globally. This article evaluated the rates and reasons for clozapine therapy interruptions in Australia and explored the impact of the frequency of hematological monitoring on these parameters. METHODS Data of the patients who were newly commenced on clozapine at three metropolitan public mental health services in Western Australia over 11 years were retrospectively collated. The rate and reasons for clozapine therapy interruptions and their association with the frequency of hematological monitoring, age, sex, and treatment site were analyzed using parametric, nonparametric, and correlational analyses. RESULTS Of the 457 patients whose data were collected, 69.6% had an interruption of treatment with 41.2% of those occurring during the period of mandatory weekly hematological monitoring in the first 18 weeks. Nonadherence (57.4%) and adverse effects (28.8%) were the 2 main reasons for the treatment interruptions. Cardiac issues accounted for the majority of the interruptions (61.8%) due to specified adverse effects, and these occurred significantly more commonly within the first 18 weeks. Location, age, and sex did not predict the possibility of treatment interruptions. CONCLUSIONS The high rates of clozapine treatment interruption observed during the period of weekly monitoring point toward the need to address the burden of frequent hematological monitoring for patients. Disproportionately higher rates of interruption due to cardiac adverse effects observed in this study compared with research from non-Australian settings raise the possibility of geographical differences in the adverse effects leading to treatment discontinuation.
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Dawson JL, Sluggett JK, Procter NG, Myles N, Bell JS. Hematological and Other Cancers in People Using Clozapine: Analysis of Australian Spontaneous Reports Between 1995 and 2020. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2023:00004714-990000000-00131. [PMID: 37104657 DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0000000000001699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent observational study evidence suggests that clozapine, unlike other antipsychotics, may be associated with a small increased risk of hematological malignancy. This study described characteristics of hematological and other cancers in those taking clozapine reported to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. METHODS We analyzed public case reports for "clozapine," "Clozaril," or "Clopine" from January 1995 to December 2020 classified as "neoplasm benign, malignant and unspecified" by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. Data on age, sex, dose, clozapine start and cessation dates, Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities reaction terms, and date of cancer were extracted. RESULTS Overall, 384 spontaneous reports of cancers in people taking clozapine were analyzed. The mean age of patients was 53.9 years (SD, 11.4 years), and 224 (58.3%) were male. The most frequent cancers were hematological (n = 104 [27.1%]), lung (n = 50 [13.0%]), breast (n = 37 [9.6%]), and colorectal (n = 28 [7.3%]). The outcome was fatal for 33.9% of cancer reports. Lymphoma comprised 72.1% of all hematological cancers (mean patient age, 52.1 years; SD, 11.6 years). The median daily dose of clozapine at the time of hematological cancer report was 400 mg (interquartile range, 300-543.8 mg), and the median duration of clozapine use before hematological cancer diagnosis was 7.0 years (interquartile range, 2.8-13.2 years). CONCLUSIONS Lymphoma and other hematological cancers are overrepresented in spontaneous adverse event reports compared with other cancer types. Clinicians should be aware of the possible association with hematological cancers and monitor for and report any hematological cancers identified. Future studies should examine histology of lymphomas in people using clozapine and corresponding blood level of clozapine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nicholas G Procter
- University of South Australia, UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, Adelaide
| | | | - J Simon Bell
- From the Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria
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Oloyede E, Blackman G, Mantell B, Harris E, Williams J, Taylor D, MacCabe J, McGuire P. What are the barriers and facilitators of clozapine use in early psychosis? A survey of UK early intervention clinicians. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 9:26. [PMID: 37117237 PMCID: PMC10147630 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-023-00353-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Clozapine is the most effective medication for treatment-resistant psychosis, but evidence points to substantial underuse, especially within early intervention psychosis (EIP) services. We explored clinicians' views on perceived barriers and facilitators to offering patients clozapine within EIP services. A cross-sectional survey was distributed electronically to clinicians practising in EIP services across England. A mixed methods approach was used to assess barriers to clozapine, and attitudes and opinions concerning clozapine underutilisation. Based on the barriers identified in the literature, clinicians were asked to rate each one (scale:1-7) based on importance, with a higher score indicating higher importance. Clinicians were also asked open-ended questions on barriers to clozapine and how access can be improved in EIP services. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and qualitative responses were analysed thematically. One hundred and nineteen EIP clinicians from 35 services in England completed the survey. In total, 37% (n = 45) of clinicians perceived that clozapine was under-prescribed in their EIP service. The most important barrier to utilising clozapine were patient concerns with side effects, followed by monitoring requirements and clinician concerns with side effects. Thematic analysis identified 17 perceived barriers, which were grouped into three major themes: administrative (5 subthemes), clinician-related (6 subthemes), and patient-related (6 subthemes). Perceived facilitators to improving clozapine use were greater training, improved resources, and optimised monitoring. The main barriers to clozapine in EIP services, as identified by clinicians, are patient concerns regarding side effects and monitoring requirements. Identified facilitators for improved clozapine use include clinician training, improved resources, guidelines, and point-of-care testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebenezer Oloyede
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford, UK.
| | - Graham Blackman
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford, UK
| | - Bethany Mantell
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Eleanor Harris
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Julie Williams
- Health Service and Population Research Department, Centre for Implementation Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David Taylor
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - James MacCabe
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health South London and Maudsley NHS, London, UK
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford, UK
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de Leon J, Arrojo-Romero M, Verdoux H, Ruan CJ, Schoretsanitis G, Rohde C, Cohen D, Schulte PFJ, Kim SH, Cotes RO, Leung JG, Otsuka Y, Kirilochev OO, Baptista T, Grover S, Every-Palmer S, Clark SR, McGrane IR, Motuca M, Olmos I, Wilkowska A, Sagud M, Anıl Yağcıoğlu AE, Ristic DI, Lazary J, Sanz EJ, De Las Cuevas C. Escaping the Long Shadow Cast by Agranulocytosis: Reflections on Clozapine Pharmacovigilance Focused on the United Kingdom. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 43:239-245. [PMID: 37068034 DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0000000000001678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND A recent article in this journal presented a US perspective regarding the modernization of clozapine prescription and proposed an escape from the long shadow cast by agranulocytosis. METHODS Here, an international group of collaborators discusses a point of view complementary to the US view by focusing on worldwide outcomes of clozapine usage that may be uneven in terms of frequency of clozapine adverse drug reactions. FINDINGS/RESULTS Studies from the Scandinavian national registries (Finland and Denmark) did not find increased mortality in clozapine patients or any clear evidence of the alleged toxicity of clozapine. Data on clozapine-associated fatal outcomes were obtained from 2 recently published pharmacovigilance studies and from the UK pharmacovigilance database. A pharmacovigilance study focused on physician reports to assess worldwide lethality of drugs from 2010 to 2019 found 968 clozapine-associated fatal outcomes in the United Kingdom. Moreover, the United Kingdom accounted for 55% (968 of 1761) of worldwide and 90% (968 of 1073) of European fatal clozapine-associated outcomes. In a pharmacovigilance study from the UK database (from 2008 to 2017), clozapine was associated with 383 fatal outcomes/year including all reports from physicians and nonphysicians. From 2018 to 2021, UK clozapine-associated fatal outcomes increased to 440/year. IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS The interpretation of fatal outcomes in each country using pharmacovigilance databases is limited and only allows gross comparisons; even with those limitations, the UK data seem concerning. Pneumonia and myocarditis may be more important than agranulocytosis in explaining the uneven distribution of fatal outcomes in clozapine patients across countries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manuel Arrojo-Romero
- Department of Psychiatry, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Hélène Verdoux
- Univ. Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Team Pharmacoepidemiology, UMR 1219, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Se Hyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Robert O Cotes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | | | - Yuji Otsuka
- Department of Psychiatry, Asahi General Hospital, Chiba, Japan
| | - Oleg O Kirilochev
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Astrakhan State Medical University, Astrakhan, Russian Federation
| | | | - Sandeep Grover
- Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | | | - Scott R Clark
- University of Adelaide, Discipline of Psychiatry, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ian R McGrane
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
| | - Mariano Motuca
- Instituto Vilapriño, Center for Studies, Assistance and Research in Neurosciences, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Ismael Olmos
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit and Pharmacy Department, Vilardebó Hospital, Administración de Servicios de Salud, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Alina Wilkowska
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | | | | | | | - Judit Lazary
- National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Carlos De Las Cuevas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dermatology and Psychiatry and Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain
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Causes or Cures: What makes us think of attention issues as disorders? NEW IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 69:None. [PMID: 37013181 PMCID: PMC10028460 DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2023.101008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Are attention issues disorders or not? Philosophers of medicine have tried to address this question by looking for properties that distinguish disorders from non-disorders. Such properties include deviation of a statistical norm, a loss of function or experienced suffering. However, attempts at such conceptual analysis have not led to a consensus on the necessary and sufficient conditions for the application of the concept of disorder. Recently, philosophers have proposed an experimental approach to investigate in which circumstances people think a specific concept is applicable. Here we present a quantitative vignette study investigating whether disorder attribution depends on the perceived cause and the perceived type of treatment for an attention problem. The results of our study indicate that the attribution of a disorder decreased when the attention problem was understood as caused by bullying (social environmental cause) or by an accident (non-social environmental cause) rather than a genetic cause. When prescribed a pill, attention problems were considered a disorder to a larger extent than when the child was prescribed an environmental treatment. Our study also suggests that whereas successful environmental treatments will not necessarily decrease the disorder attribution, successful pharmacological treatments will decrease the likelihood that a person is thought to still suffer from a disorder after receiving the treatment.
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Gaebler AJ, Haen E, Omar NB, Endres K, Hiemke C, Schoretsanitis G, Paulzen M. Lower sertraline plasma concentration in patients co-medicated with clozapine-Implications for pharmacological augmentation strategies in schizophrenia. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2023; 11:e01065. [PMID: 36825450 PMCID: PMC9950877 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.1065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Augmentation of antipsychotic treatment with antidepressants represents a common and beneficial treatment strategy in patients suffering from schizophrenia. Combining clozapine and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) sertraline represents a clinically important strategy in patients with therapy-resistant schizophrenia, but there is limited knowledge about mutual pharmacokinetic interactions. In the present study, we assessed the impact of clozapine on sertraline plasma concentrations. Based on a therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) database, sertraline plasma concentrations were compared between two groups: patients receiving a combined treatment with sertraline and clozapine (N = 15) and a matched control group receiving sertraline but no clozapine (N = 17). Group differences with respect to raw and dose-adjusted concentrations were assessed using nonparametric tests. Comedication with clozapine was associated with 67% lower median sertraline plasma concentrations (16 vs. 48 ng/mL; p = .022) and 28% lower median dose-adjusted plasma concentrations (C/D; 0.21 vs. 0.29 (ng/mL)/(mg/day); p = .049) as compared to the control group. Scatter plots revealed a complex relationship between the dosage of clozapine and dose-adjusted sertraline concentrations composed of an initial decrease at clozapine doses below 300 mg, an increase between 300 and 600 mg and a final decrease at 800 mg which was best modeled by a third order polynomial term. Cotreatment with clozapine may lead to reduced sertraline plasma concentrations which may be explained by clozapine-induced gastrointestinal hypo-mobility already present at low doses and cytochrome P450 3A4 inducing properties at high clozapine doses. For this drug combination, clinicians should consider TDM to confirm therapeutically effective plasma concentrations of sertraline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnim Johannes Gaebler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, Aachen, Germany.,JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ekkehard Haen
- Clinical Pharmacology Institute AGATE gGmbH, Pentling, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinical Pharmacology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Nagia Ben Omar
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinical Pharmacology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Hiemke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Georgios Schoretsanitis
- The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Psychiatry Research, Northwell Health, New York, New York, USA.,University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Paulzen
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, Aachen, Germany.,JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany.,Alexianer Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
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Ji JL, Lencz T, Gallego J, Neufeld N, Voineskos A, Malhotra A, Anticevic A. Informing individualized multi-scale neural signatures of clozapine response in patients with treatment-refractory schizophrenia. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.03.10.23286854. [PMID: 36993630 PMCID: PMC10055439 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.10.23286854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Clozapine is currently the only antipsychotic with demonstrated efficacy in treatment-refractory schizophrenia (TRS). However, response to clozapine differs widely between TRS patients, and there are no available clinical or neural predictive indicators that could be used to increase or accelerate the use of clozapine in patients who stand to benefit. Furthermore, it remains unclear how the neuropharmacology of clozapine contributes to its therapeutic effects. Identifying the mechanisms underlying clozapine's therapeutic effects across domains of symptomatology could be crucial for development of new optimized therapies for TRS. Here, we present results from a prospective neuroimaging study that quantitatively related heterogeneous patterns of clinical clozapine response to neural functional connectivity at baseline. We show that we can reliably capture specific dimensions of clozapine clinical response by quantifying the full variation across item-level clinical scales, and that these dimensions can be mapped to neural features that are sensitive to clozapine-induced symptom change. Thus, these features may act as "failure modes" that can provide an early indication of treatment (non-)responsiveness. Lastly, we related the response-relevant neural maps to spatial expression profiles of genes coding for receptors implicated in clozapine's pharmacology, demonstrating that distinct dimensions of clozapine symptom-informed neural features may be associated with specific receptor targets. Collectively, this study informs prognostic neuro-behavioral measures for clozapine as a more optimal treatment for selected patients with TRS. We provide support for the identification of neuro-behavioral targets linked to pharmacological efficacy that can be further developed to inform optimal early treatment decisions in schizophrenia.
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Leung JG, Ehret M, Love RC, Cotes RO. Improving clozapine utilization will require continued advocacy, drug sponsor interest, and FDA support to address REMS issues. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2023; 16:177-179. [PMID: 36803289 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2023.2183192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan Ehret
- Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Raymond C Love
- Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert O Cotes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Two-year cohort-up study of clozapine prescription in Chinese patients with schizophrenia treated in rural primary care. Asian J Psychiatr 2023; 81:103434. [PMID: 36603401 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Few studies have examined the clozapine in cohort studies of Chinese patients with schizophrenia in rural primary care. The objective of this two-year cohort study was to describe the usage of clozapine and investigate and identify the demographic, clinical correlations and risk variables which affect the use of clozapine in patients with schizophrenia. A random cluster sampling technique was used, and participants were collected from China National Psychiatric Management System (CNPMS). The variables for clozapine use in individuals with schizophrenia who had undergone a two-year follow-up were determined using the generalized estimating equation (GEE). In this study, 742 patients with schizophrenia were invited, and 491 completed the two-year follow-up study. Being married, more years of education, more waist circumference, using mood stabilizer, using anticholinergic, higher ITAQ (Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire) scores were more significantly related to the use of clozapine. Older age of onset, using second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) except clozapine predicted a lower prevalence of using clozapine. The usage of clozapine was very common in patients with schizophrenia treated by primary care physicians, and was influenced by a variety of factors, including price of drugs, clinical factors, health regulations, and the characteristics of treatment environment. Further examination of the rationale and appropriateness of clozapine in primary care in China is necessary.
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Corbeil O, Béchard L, Fournier É, Plante M, Thivierge MA, Lafrenière CÉ, Huot-Lavoie M, Brodeur S, Essiambre AM, Roy MA, Demers MF. Clozapine rechallenge or continuation despite neutropenia or agranulocytosis using colony-stimulating factor: A systematic review. J Psychopharmacol 2023; 37:370-377. [PMID: 36794520 PMCID: PMC10363950 DOI: 10.1177/02698811231154111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Rechallenge/continuation of clozapine in association with colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) following neutropenia/agranulocytosis has been reported, but many questions remain unanswered about efficacy and safety. This systematic review aims to assess the efficacy and safety of rechallenging/continuing clozapine in patients following neutropenia/agranulocytosis using CSFs. METHODS MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception date to July 31, 2022. Articles screening and data extraction were realized independently by two reviewers, according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 systematic review guidance. Included articles had to report on at least one case where clozapine was rechallenged/continued using CSFs despite previous neutropenia/agranulocytosis. RESULTS Eight hundred forty articles were retrieved; 34 articles met the inclusion criteria, totaling 59 individual cases. Clozapine was successfully rechallenged/continued in 76% of patients for an average follow-up period of 1.9 years. There was a trend toward better efficacy reported in case reports/series, compared with consecutive case series (overall success rates of 84% and 60%, respectively, p-value = 0.065). Two administration strategies were identified, "as-needed" and prophylactic, both yielding similar success rates (81% and 80%, respectively). Only mild and transient adverse events were documented. CONCLUSIONS Although limited by the relatively small number of published cases, factors such as time of onset to first neutropenia and severity of the episode did not seem to impact the outcome of a subsequent clozapine rechallenge using CSFs. While the efficacy of this strategy remains to be further adequately evaluated in more rigorous study designs, its long-term innocuity warrants considering its use more proactively in the management of clozapine hematological adverse events as to maintain this treatment for as many individuals as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Corbeil
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada.,CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Laurent Béchard
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada.,CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Émilien Fournier
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Maude Plante
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marc-André Thivierge
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | | | - Maxime Huot-Lavoie
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Sébastien Brodeur
- Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada.,CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Essiambre
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec City, QC, Canada.,School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marc-André Roy
- Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada.,CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-France Demers
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada.,CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec City, QC, Canada
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Jakobsen MI, Schaug JP, Nielsen J, Simonsen E. Antipsychotic prescribing practices for outpatients with schizophrenia and reasons for non-clozapine treatment - Data from a Danish quality assessment audit. Nord J Psychiatry 2023:1-10. [PMID: 36651766 DOI: 10.1080/08039488.2022.2160878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clozapine is the gold standard for treating treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) although widely underutilised. Both organisational, patient- and clinician related reasons for the underutilisation have been reported, however, the clinical impact of either in real-world settings is not fully elucidated. AIM This audit aimed to evaluate the local antipsychotic (AP) prescribing practices for outpatients with schizophrenia and to assess the spectrum and prevalence of journalised reasons for non-clozapine treatment amongst eligible outpatients. METHODS Data on demographics, current and former AP treatments, as well as documented reasons for non-clozapine treatment, was extracted through chart audit. RESULTS Of the 668 affiliated outpatients with schizophrenia, 43% were treated with AP polytherapy (APP) and 19.6% with clozapine. The most prevalent reason for clozapine discontinuation was related to side effects whereas the most prevalent reason for refusal or omission of clozapine treatment was related to the associated monitoring regimen. CONCLUSIONS This audit showed that APP prescribing is a highly prevalent practice in our services when treating outpatients with schizophrenia and that clozapine is underutilised in a 'last resort' manner. The blood-monitoring regimen associated with clozapine treatment was found to be an important factor in the underutilisation. It seemed, however, that the monitoring constituted a barrier for different reasons, requiring different approaches to remedy. Future studies, directly involving both patients and clinicians in the identification and management of the most clinically relevant barriers and their corresponding facilitators, are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle I Jakobsen
- The Mental Health Services East, Region Zealand Psychiatry, Roskilde, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julie P Schaug
- Psychiatric Research Unit, Centre for Evidence-Based Psychiatry, Region Zealand Psychiatry, Slagelse, Denmark
| | - Jimmi Nielsen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Psychiatric Centre Glostrup, The Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Erik Simonsen
- The Mental Health Services East, Region Zealand Psychiatry, Roskilde, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Russo M, Ignjatovic-Ristic D, Cohen D, Arenliu A, Bajraktarov S, Dzubur Kulenovic A, Injac Stevovic L, Maric N, Novotni A, Jovanovic N. Clozapine prescription rates in Southeast Europe: A cross-sectional study. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1123246. [PMID: 37113539 PMCID: PMC10126685 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1123246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction International reports indicate that clozapine is under prescribed. Yet, this has not been explored in Southeast European (SEE) countries. This cross-sectional study investigates clozapine prescription rates in a sample of 401 outpatients with psychosis from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo by United Nations resolution, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Methods Descriptive analysis was used to explore clozapine prescription rates; daily antipsychotic dosage was calculated and converted into olanzapine equivalents. Patients receiving clozapine were compared to those not receiving clozapine; next those that were on clozapine monotherapy were compared to those who were on clozapine polytherapy regime. Results It was showed that clozapine was prescribed to 37.7% of patients (with cross-country variation: from 25% in North Macedonia to 43.8% in Montenegro), with average dose of 130.7 mg/daily. The majority of patients on clozapine (70.5%) were prescribed at least one more antipsychotic (the most frequent combination was with haloperidol). Discussion Our findings suggested that clozapine prescription rate in SEE outpatients is higher than in Western Europe. The average dose is significantly below the optimal therapeutic dosage recommended by clinical guidelines, and clozapine polytherapy is common. This might indicate that clozapine is prescribed mainly for its sedative effect rather than antipsychotic. We hope that this finding will be taken up by relevant stakeholders to address this non-evidence-based practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Russo
- Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Implementation Science, Health Services and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Manuela Russo,
| | | | - Dan Cohen
- MHO North-Holland North, Heerhugowaard, Netherlands
| | - Aliriza Arenliu
- Department of Psychology, University of Pristina, Pristina, Kosovo by United Nations Resolution
| | | | | | | | - Nadja Maric
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Mental Health, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Antoni Novotni
- University Clinic of Psychiatry, Skopje, North Macedonia
| | - Nikolina Jovanovic
- Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Rabkin SW, Tang JKK. Clozapine-induced Myocarditis: Pathophysiologic Mechanisms and Implications for Therapeutic Approaches. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2023; 16:60-70. [PMID: 35152873 DOI: 10.2174/1874467215666220211094910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Clozapine, a superior treatment for treatment-resistant schizophrenia can cause potentially life-threatening myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. While the occurrence of this condition is well known, its molecular mechanisms are unclear and may be multifactorial. Putative mechanisms warrant an in-depth review not only from the perspective of toxicity but also for understanding the molecular mechanisms of the adverse cardiac effects of clozapine and the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Clozapine-induced cardiac toxicity encompasses a diverse set of pathways, including (i) immune modulation and proinflammatory processes encompassing an IgEmediated (type I hypersensitivity) response and perhaps a cytokine release syndrome (ii) catecholaminergic activation (iii) induction of free radicals and oxidative stress (iv) activation of cardiomyocyte cell death pathways, including apoptosis, ischemia through impairment in coronary blood flow via changes in endothelial production of NO and vasoconstriction induced by norepinephrine as well as other factors released from cardiac mast cells. (v) In addition, an extensive examination of the effects of clozapine on non-cardiac cellular proteins demonstrates that clozapine can impair enzymes involved in cellular metabolism, such as pyruvate kinase, mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase, and other proteins, including α-enolase, triosephosphate isomerase and cofilin, which might explain clozapine-induced reductions in myocardial energy generation for cell viability as well as contractile function. Pharmacologic antagonism of these cellular protein effects may lead to the development of strategies to antagonize the cardiac damage induced by clozapine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon W Rabkin
- Division of Cardiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
| | - Jacky K K Tang
- Division of Cardiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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Ord KL, Marais B. Clozapine use at a specialised psychiatric hospital in Johannesburg. S Afr J Psychiatr 2023; 29:1999. [PMID: 37151370 PMCID: PMC10157415 DOI: 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v29i0.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Clozapine is the gold standard medication for treatment-resistant psychosis, with robust evidence supporting its efficacy in multiple symptom domains. However, clozapine's side effect profile contributes to its underutilisation and discontinuation. Aim This study aimed to explore the magnitude of clozapine use and describe factors that impact on its effective use among in-patients. Setting Tara Hospital, a specialised psychiatric hospital in Johannesburg. Methods This was a retrospective, cross-sectional file review of clozapine-treated patients admitted over the 2-year study period. Data variables included: demographics, clinical information, discharge prescription, clozapine-related side effects and details of clozapine discontinuation, where applicable. Results A cohort of 33.2% of patients from Tara's biological wards received a trial of clozapine. Participants experienced anti-cholinergic clozapine-related side effects that included weight gain (79.5%), tachycardia (35.2%) and constipation (35.2%). Clozapine was discontinued in 13.7% of participants, and no life-threatening side effects or deaths occurred. Significantly more use of flupenthixol decanoate (64.3% vs. 30.7%; p = 0.0322) and anticholinergics (35.7% vs. 11.4%; p = 0.0474) occurred in the clozapine-discontinued group. Polypharmacy rates were high for psychiatric and non-psychiatric medications. Conclusion One-third of patients received clozapine trials, most of whom continued at discharge. Although side effects occurred frequently, life-threatening side effects did not. Clozapine monitoring protocols, side effect rating scales, pre-emptive management of side effects, lifestyle interventions and clinician education may improve outcomes of clozapine use. The use of plasma clozapine levels may be beneficial. Contribution This study expands our limited knowledge regarding current clozapine prescribing trends in South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L Ord
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Belinda Marais
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Qubad M, Bittner RA. Second to none: rationale, timing, and clinical management of clozapine use in schizophrenia. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol 2023; 13:20451253231158152. [PMID: 36994117 PMCID: PMC10041648 DOI: 10.1177/20451253231158152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite its enduring relevance as the single most effective and important evidence-based treatment for schizophrenia, underutilization of clozapine remains considerable. To a substantial degree, this is attributable to a reluctance of psychiatrists to offer clozapine due to its relatively large side-effect burden and the complexity of its use. This underscores the necessity for continued education regarding both the vital nature and the intricacies of clozapine treatment. This narrative review summarizes all clinically relevant areas of evidence, which support clozapine's wide-ranging superior efficacy - for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) and beyond - and make its safe use eminently feasible. Converging evidence indicates that TRS constitutes a distinct albeit heterogeneous subgroup of schizophrenias primarily responsive to clozapine. Most importantly, the predominantly early onset of treatment resistance and the considerable decline in response rates associated with its delayed initiation make clozapine an essential treatment option throughout the course of illness, beginning with the first psychotic episode. To maximize patients' benefits, systematic early recognition efforts based on stringent use of TRS criteria, a timely offer of clozapine, thorough side-effect screening and management as well as consistent use of therapeutic drug monitoring and established augmentation strategies for suboptimal responders are crucial. To minimize permanent all-cause discontinuation, re-challenges after neutropenia or myocarditis should be considered. Owing to clozapine's unique efficacy, comorbid conditions including substance use and most somatic disorders should not dissuade but rather encourage clinicians to consider clozapine. Moreover, treatment decisions need to be informed by the late onset of clozapine's full effects, which for reduced suicidality and mortality rates may not even be readily apparent. Overall, the singular extent of its efficacy combined with the high level of patient satisfaction continues to distinguish clozapine from all other available antipsychotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mishal Qubad
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Abstract
AIMS Clozapine is licensed for treatment-resistant psychosis and remains underutilised. This may berelated to the stringent haematological monitoring requirements that are mandatory in most countries. We aimed to compare guidelines internationally and develop a novel Stringency Index. We hypothesised that the most stringent countries would have increased healthcare costs and reduced prescription rates. METHOD We conducted a literature review and survey of guidelines internationally. Guideline identification involved a literature review and consultation with clinical academics. We focused on the haematological monitoring parameters, frequency and thresholds for discontinuation and rechallenge after suspected clozapine-induced neutropenia. In addition, indicators reflecting monitoring guideline stringency were scored and visualised using a choropleth map. We developed a Stringency Index with an international panel of clozapine experts, through a modified-Delphi-survey. The Stringency Index was compared to health expenditure per-capita and clozapine prescription per 100 000 persons. RESULTS One hundred twocountries were included, from Europe (n = 35), Asia (n = 24), Africa (n = 20), South America (n = 11), North America (n = 7) and Oceania and Australia (n = 5). Guidelines differed in frequency of haematological monitoring and discontinuation thresholds. Overall, 5% of included countries had explicit guidelines for clozapine-rechallenge and 40% explicitly prohibited clozapine-rechallenge. Furthermore, 7% of included countries had modified discontinuation thresholds for benign ethnic neutropenia. None of the guidelines specified how long haematological monitoring should continue. The most stringent guidelines were in Europe, and the least stringent were in Africa and South America. There was a positive association (r = 0.43, p < 0.001) between a country's Stringency Index and healthcare expenditure per capita. CONCLUSIONS Recommendations on how haematological function should be monitored in patients treated with clozapine vary considerably between countries. It would be useful to standardise guidelines on haematological monitoring worldwide.
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The Modernization of Clozapine: A Recapitulation of the Past in the United States and the View Forward. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 42:565-580. [PMID: 36170148 DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0000000000001606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Although clozapine was Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved more than 3 decades ago, major barriers and gaps in knowledge continue to prevent its effective and safe use. We review modern-day problems encountered with clozapine in the United States (US). METHODS Information surrounding current administrative, clinical, research, and technological gaps or barriers related to clozapine use in the US was reviewed. FINDINGS The history of how clozapine became FDA approved likely contributes to gaps in knowledge. The frequency of safety warnings added to the FDA prescribing information may add to fears about clozapine, as evidence by numerous published survey studies. The clozapine Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program has been modified several times in the last decade, causing access and safety issues for patients, which are discussed. Evidence may suggest that the FDA REMS requirements for hematologic monitoring are too cumbersome, and there may be ability to safely loosen requirements. The COVID-19 pandemic brought forth the ability for extended interval monitoring but also greater awareness of the clozapine-inflammation interaction. Newer guidelines published describe considerations in personalizing clozapine titration based on principles of ethnopsychopharmacology. Emerging technologies to support the use of clozapine are not widely available. IMPLICATIONS Clozapine is a unique life-saving drug but it is underused in the US, despite its established efficacy. The 2021 REMS changes led to significant difficulties for providers and patients. We highlight the importance of the clozapine-inflammation interaction, therapeutic drug monitoring, and the ability for individual care based on patient-specific factors. There is an urgent need for advancing technology used for clozapine monitoring, evaluating barriers created by REMS, and establishing consistent practices throughout the US.
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Takanobu K, Hashimoto N, Ishikawa S, Kusumi I. Combination of strategies to initiate clozapine for refractory schizophrenia in a patient with low neutrophil levels. BMJ Case Rep 2022; 15:15/10/e247734. [PMID: 36229076 PMCID: PMC9562318 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2021-247734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Clozapine is the only drug with confirmed efficacy for refractory schizophrenia; however, its use is restricted due to the risk of potentially life-threatening side effects, such as agranulocytosis. Although this restriction ensures safety against haematological risks, some patients with refractory schizophrenia who have low neutrophil levels may miss the opportunity to receive clozapine treatment. We herein report the case of a patient with refractory schizophrenia and low neutrophil levels who was successfully initiated on clozapine treatment after the use of several methods for increasing neutrophil levels. These strategies consisted of discontinuation of antipsychotics, treatment with lithium carbonate and adenine, and light exercise before blood testing. Combining these procedures may be an effective option in the treatment of patients with refractory schizophrenia whose neutrophil levels are not sufficient to initiate clozapine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Takanobu
- Forensic Psychiatry Center, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Naoki Hashimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Shuhei Ishikawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Ichiro Kusumi
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
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