Asenapine versus olanzapine in acute mania: a double-blind extension study

Factors modifying drug and placebo responses in randomized trials for bipolar mania

Randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) are standard for assessing efficacy and safety of treatments. We pursued preliminary indications that some factors are associated differentially with responses to placebo or drugs in RCTs for bipolar mania. We meta-analysed data from RCTs to assess influences of study-site count, subjects' age, sex distribution, diagnostic subgroups, clinical features, trial-completion rates, and publication year on mean difference (MD) in mania ratings between intake and final assessments. In 38 RCTs involving 3812 placebo-treated and 6988 drug-treated patients, symptomatic improvement was similar in placebo arms of trials of effective (6.77, 95% CI 5.77-7.76) and ineffective (7.61, 95% CI 5.47-8.75) drugs. Lesser placebo responses (MD) and greater drug-placebo differences (Hedges' g) were associated with fewer study sites, younger patients' age, and male sex. More patients with initial psychotic features and more trial completion in drug arms were associated with greater drug-associated improvement (MD) and drug-placebo contrast (Hedges' g), whereas more mixed-state diagnoses decreased both measures. Identifying modifying factors can support more efficient and cost-effective designs of therapeutic trials. In trials for mania, fewer sites may limit placebo response and enhance drug-placebo contrasts.

A critical appraisal of treatments for bipolar disorder

Recovery-the absence of all abnormal mood symptoms-is the goal of treatment for bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, a minority of people suffering from bipolar disorder achieve sustained recovery. Improving recovery rates for this population will require clinicians in the primary care setting to be familiar with appropriate treatments for acute bipolar mania and depression and for the maintenance phase. Efficacy and tolerability of pharmacotherapeutic and psychotherapeutic options for all phases of treatment and each type of mood episode are discussed. Primary care physicians are encouraged to avoid prescribing antidepressant monotherapy for any patient with depression and a history of mania or hypomania.

Effects of asenapine on depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar I disorder experiencing acute manic or mixed episodes: a post hoc analysis of two 3-week clinical trials

BACKGROUND

Asenapine demonstrated superiority over placebo for mania in bipolar I disorder patients experiencing acute current manic or mixed episodes in 2 randomized, placebo-and olanzapine-controlled trials. We report the results of exploratory pooled post hoc analyses from these trials evaluating asenapine's effects on depressive symptoms in patients from these trials with significant baseline depressive symptoms.

METHODS

In the original trials (A7501004 [NCT00159744], A7501005 [NCT00159796]), 977 patients were randomized to flexible-dose sublingual asenapine (10 mg twice daily on day 1; 5 or 10 mg twice daily thereafter), placebo, or oral olanzapine 5-20 mg once daily for 3 weeks. Three populations were defined using baseline depressive symptoms: (1) Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score ≥20 (n = 132); (2) Clinical Global Impression for Bipolar Disorder-Depression (CGI-BP-D) scale severity score ≥4 (n = 170); (3) diagnosis of mixed episodes (n = 302) by investigative site screening. For each population, asenapine and olanzapine were independently compared with placebo using least squares mean change from baseline on depressive symptom measures.

RESULTS

Decreases in MADRS total score were statistically greater with asenapine versus placebo at days 7 and 21 in all populations; differences between olanzapine and placebo were not significant. Decreases in CGI-BP-D score were significantly greater with asenapine versus placebo at day 7 in all categories and day 21 in population 1; CGI-BP-D score reductions were significantly greater with olanzapine versus placebo at day 21 in population 1 and day 7 in populations 2 and 3.

CONCLUSIONS

These post hoc analyses show that asenapine reduced depressive symptoms in bipolar I disorder patients experiencing acute manic or mixed episodes with clinically relevant depressive symptoms at baseline; olanzapine results appeared to be less consistent. Controlled studies of asenapine in patients with acute bipolar depression are necessary to confirm the generalizability of these findings.

Obesity and psychotropics

Weight gain is on the rise in the United States as is the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. These two phenomena are distinctly separate but tend to overlap in that most psychotropic agents approved for use in the United States are associated with the potential to induce weight gain. Metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension are also on the rise and often associated with weight gain and clearly associated with certain psychotropic medications. This article serves to provide a succinct review regarding the epidemiology, etiology, and treatment options for psychotropic-induced obesity.

The role of asenapine in the treatment of manic or mixed states associated with bipolar I disorder

BACKGROUND

Bipolar disorders (BD) are of particular public health significance as they are prevalent, severe and disabling, and often associated with elevated risks of premature mortality. The aim of this concise overview is to investigate the role of asenapine in the treatment of manic and mixed states associated with BD type 1 disorder.

METHOD

MedLine, Excerpta Medica and PsycINFO searches were performed to identify papers in English published over the past 7 years. Search terms were "asenapine", "manic" OR "mixed states", "bipolar I disorder". Subjects included in this study suffered from BD type 1 disorder.

RESULTS

To date, only four studies of asenapine for the treatment of manic or mixed episodes associated with BD type 1 have been published.

CONCLUSION

Research indicates that asenapine is generally well-tolerated, and that asenapine is efficacious and not inferior to olanzapine in the treatment of mixed or manic episodes associated with BD type 1 in the short-term and long-term.

Metabolism and excretion of asenapine in healthy male subjects

The metabolism and excretion of asenapine [(3aRS,12bRS)-5-chloro-2-methyl-2,3,3a,12b-tetrahydro-1H-dibenzo[2,3:6,7]-oxepino [4,5-c]pyrrole (2Z)-2-butenedioate (1:1)] were studied after sublingual administration of [(14)C]-asenapine to healthy male volunteers. Mean total excretion on the basis of the percent recovery of the total radioactive dose was ∼90%, with ∼50% appearing in urine and ∼40% excreted in feces; asenapine itself was detected only in feces. Metabolic profiles were determined in plasma, urine, and feces using high-performance liquid chromatography with radioactivity detection. Approximately 50% of drug-related material in human plasma was identified or quantified. The remaining circulating radioactivity corresponded to at least 15 very polar, minor peaks (mostly phase II products). Overall, >70% of circulating radioactivity was associated with conjugated metabolites. Major metabolic routes were direct glucuronidation and N-demethylation. The principal circulating metabolite was asenapine N(+)-glucuronide; other circulating metabolites were N-desmethylasenapine-N-carbamoyl-glucuronide, N-desmethylasenapine, and asenapine 11-O-sulfate. In addition to the parent compound, asenapine, the principal excretory metabolite was asenapine N(+)-glucuronide. Other excretory metabolites were N-desmethylasenapine-N-carbamoylglucuronide, 11-hydroxyasenapine followed by conjugation, 10,11-dihydroxy-N-desmethylasenapine, 10,11-dihydroxyasenapine followed by conjugation (several combinations of these routes were found) and N-formylasenapine in combination with several hydroxylations, and most probably asenapine N-oxide in combination with 10,11-hydroxylations followed by conjugations. In conclusion, asenapine was extensively and rapidly metabolized, resulting in several regio-isomeric hydroxylated and conjugated metabolites.

Asenapine: a review of its use in the management of mania in adults with bipolar I disorder

Asenapine is an atypical antipsychotic agent available in sublingual formulations (5 or 10 mg) and indicated in the US (Saphris) for the acute treatment, as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy, of manic and mixed episodes and in the EU (Sycrest) for the treatment of moderate to severe manic episodes, in adult patients with bipolar I disorder. In two large (both n = 480), well designed, 3-week trials in adult patients with bipolar I disorder, asenapine monotherapy was significantly more effective than placebo at improving mania symptoms, as assessed using the Young Mania Rating Scale total score (YMRS; primary endpoint), with significant differences between the asenapine and placebo groups occurring after 2 days of treatment. In both trials, Clinical Global Impression for Bipolar Disorder (CGI-BP) scale mania severity scores exceeded those of placebo. In one trial, response and remission rates exceeded those of placebo. In a 9-week extension study that recruited completers from the monotherapy trials, there were no significant differences between asenapine and olanzapine groups in terms in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores, CGI-BP mania severity scores, YMRS response rates or YMRS remission rates during the extension phase. In the extension study, the efficacy of asenapine monotherapy appeared to be maintained over 40 weeks (total treatment duration of 52 weeks). In a 12-week trial of asenapine as adjunctive therapy to lithium or valproate, asenapine was more effective than placebo in improving manic symptoms, based on the difference between groups in the YMRS total score at week 3 (primary endpoint). Most adverse events associated with asenapine were of mild to moderate severity, with <7% of asenapine recipients experiencing serious adverse events (vs 7% with placebo). In a pooled analysis of the monotherapy trials, the most common adverse events (occurring in ≥ 5% of patients and at twice the incidence of placebo) reported during acute phase asenapine monotherapy for bipolar mania were somnolence, dizziness, extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS, other than akathisia) and increased bodyweight, which were similar in nature to those occurring during longer-term monotherapy with asenapine. EPS did not worsen in severity during longer-term asenapine monotherapy. Asenapine had minimal effects on plasma glucose, lipid and prolactin levels over both short- and longer-term treatment periods, and had little pro-arrhythmogenic potential. Further active comparator trials and longer-term tolerability and safety data are required. In the meantime, asenapine is a further option for the management of manic and/or mixed symptoms in patients with bipolar I disorder and may be of particular value for patients who are at high risk for metabolic abnormalities.

Efficacy of antimanic treatments: meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials

We conducted meta-analyses of findings from randomized, placebo-controlled, short-term trials for acute mania in manic or mixed states of DSM (III-IV) bipolar I disorder in 56 drug-placebo comparisons of 17 agents from 38 studies involving 10,800 patients. Of drugs tested, 13 (76%) were more effective than placebo: aripiprazole, asenapine, carbamazepine, cariprazine, haloperidol, lithium, olanzapine, paliperdone, quetiapine, risperidone, tamoxifen, valproate, and ziprasidone. Their pooled effect size for mania improvement (Hedges' g in 48 trials) was 0.42 (confidence interval (CI): 0.36-0.48); pooled responder risk ratio (46 trials) was 1.52 (CI: 1.42-1.62); responder rate difference (RD) was 17% (drug: 48%, placebo: 31%), yielding an estimated number-needed-to-treat of 6 (all p<0.0001). In several direct comparisons, responses to various antipsychotics were somewhat greater or more rapid than lithium, valproate, or carbamazepine; lithium did not differ from valproate, nor did second generation antipsychotics differ from haloperidol. Meta-regression associated higher study site counts, as well as subject number with greater placebo (not drug) response; and higher baseline mania score with greater drug (not placebo) response. Most effective agents had moderate effect-sizes (Hedges' g=0.26-0.46); limited data indicated large effect sizes (Hedges' g=0.51-2.32) for: carbamazepine, cariprazine, haloperidol, risperidone, and tamoxifen. The findings support the efficacy of most clinically used antimanic treatments, but encourage more head-to-head studies and development of agents with even greater efficacy.

Weight gain, obesity, and psychotropic prescribing

A majority of psychiatric medications are known to generate weight gain and ultimately obesity in some patients. There is much speculation about the prevalence of weight gain and the degree of weight gain during acute and longitudinal treatment with these agents. There is newer literature looking at the etiology of this weight gain and the potential treatments being used to alleviate this side effect. The authors undertook a comprehensive literature review in order to present epidemiology, etiology, and treatment options of weight gain associated with antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants.

Review of the safety, efficacy, and side effect profile of asenapine in the treatment of bipolar 1 disorder

OBJECTIVE

Asenapine is approved for acute manic and mixed states in bipolar disorder. The objective is to review the efficacy of asenapine in bipolar disorder, with a particular focus on acceptability and adherence to treatment.

METHODS

FIVE CLINICAL TRIALS WERE CONDUCTED IN BIPOLAR DISORDER MANIC OR MIXED STATES: two 3-week trials (n = 976) comparing asenapine to placebo, a 9-week extension (n = 504), and a 40-week extension (n = 107). One trial was conducted comparing asenapine to placebo (n = 326) as adjunctive therapy for subjects with an incomplete response to lithium or valproate. All trials were conducted in the USA and internationally.

RESULTS

Asenapine was found to be efficacious for manic and mixed states in bipolar disorder compared with placebo control, and compares equally well to olanzapine on efficacy measures after 3 weeks of treatment. Asenapine was not found to be efficacious for depression symptoms. Common asenapine side effects in the 40-week extension trial were sedation, insomnia, and dizziness, and 31% reported clinically significant weight gain, compared with 55% reporting clinically significant weight gain with olanzapine. Additionally, 18% had clinically significant changes in fasting blood glucose levels compared to 22% of those on olanzapine. In terms of patient acceptability, one concern may be sublingual administration requiring no liquids or food for 10 minutes after dosing and a twice-daily regimen. Suggestions about addressing barriers to adherence and acceptability are provided.

CONCLUSION

Asenapine is a promising new medication in bipolar disorder. Asenapine in the long-term has a more favorable weight gain profile compared to olanzapine. No benefit was seen for depression symptoms, a major patient-reported concern. Some side effects do not remit after the short-term trials in at least 10% of patients.

Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of asenapine in schizophrenia

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD

Asenapine is a new atypical antipsychotic medication with high affinity for D(2) and 5HT(2A) receptors that has been approved by the FDA in adults for the acute treatment of schizophrenia in the USA. The purpose of this review is to describe the compound and examine whether it addresses some of the unmet clinical needs in treating schizophrenia.

AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW

The development of asenapine is described with attention to its chemistry, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile. Preclinical and clinical trials of safety and efficacy are reviewed. The advantages and disadvantages of asenapine relative to other antipsychotic medications are discussed.

WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN

Asenapine will be evaluated for whether it: i) causes a reduction in symptoms of schizophrenia; ii) has a side-effect profile minimizing extrapyramidal symptoms, weight gain and cardiac effects; and iii) affects negative and/or cognitive symptoms.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Asenapine is a recently approved agent with an acceptable cardiometabolic profile and exhibits similar efficacy as other antipsychotic medications, primarily on positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Relatively less weight gain compared with other agents may confer a notable advantage. Sublingual administration may have positive and negative effects on patient compliance. Potential 'pro-cognitive' effects of asenapine are preliminary and require more investigation.

Asenapine: A Novel Atypical Antipsychotic Agent for Schizophrenia and Bipolar I Disorder

Objective:

To review the literature regarding asenapine, a recently approved atypical antipsychotic, and to evaluate its safety and efficacy profile.

Data Sources:

Primary literature was identified by conducting a MEDLINE search (1950–June 2010). English-language articles were searched using the key words asenapine, Saphris, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. All data were reviewed for clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of asenapine. Data were also obtained directly from the manufacturer.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

English-language articles on studies conducted in humans were reviewed.

Data Synthesis:

Asenapine is a novel atypical antipsychotic agent available as a treatment option for patients with schizophrenia, as monotherapy for the acute treatment of bipolar I manic or mixed episodes, and as adjunctive therapy with either lithium or valproate for the acute treatment of bipolar I manic or mixed episodes. Compared with other atypical antipsychotic agents, asenapine has a favorable adverse effect profile in terms of weight gain and metabolic disorders. Multiple studies have established its efficacy and safety profile. Asenapine has been shown to be superior to placebo in 4 clinical trials in patients with schizophrenia and in 2 clinical trials in patients with bipolar I disorder. Two studies comparing asenapine with olanzapine found asenapine to be similar in efficacy, 1 found olanzapine to be more effective, and 1 trial found asenapine to be associated with more adverse effects than olanzapine. This new agent is formulated as a sublingual tablet and is administered at either 5 or 10 mg twice daily. Common adverse effects reported include extrapyramidal symptoms, somnolence, sedation, and dizziness.

Conclusions:

Asenapine offers a viable treatment option for the acute treatment of patients affected by schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. Future studies are needed to compare asenapine directly against other atypical antipsychotics to determine its appropriate place in therapy.

Asenapine for long-term treatment of bipolar disorder: a double-blind 40-week extension study

BACKGROUND

Asenapine is approved in the United States for acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder with or without psychotic features. We report the results of long-term treatment with asenapine in patients with bipolar I disorder.

METHODS

Patients completing either of two 3-week efficacy trials and a subsequent 9-week double-blind extension were eligible for this 40-week double-blind extension. Patients in the 3-week trials were randomized to flexible-dose asenapine (5 or 10mg BID), placebo, or olanzapine (5-20mg QD; included for assay sensitivity only). Patients entering the extension phase maintained their preestablished treatment; those originally randomized to placebo received flexible-dose asenapine (placebo/asenapine). Safety and tolerability endpoints included adverse events (AEs), extrapyramidal symptoms, laboratory values, and anthropometric measures. Efficacy, a secondary assessment, was measured as change in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total score from 3-week trial baseline to week 52 with asenapine or olanzapine; the placebo/asenapine group was assessed for safety only.

RESULTS

Incidence of treatment-emergent AEs was 71.9%, 86.1%, and 79.4% with placebo/asenapine, asenapine, and olanzapine, respectively. The most frequent treatment-emergent AEs were headache and somnolence with placebo/asenapine; insomnia, sedation, and depression with asenapine; and weight gain, somnolence, and sedation with olanzapine. Among observed cases, mean ± SD changes in YMRS total score at week 52 were -28.6 ± 8.1 and -28.2 ± 6.8 for asenapine and olanzapine, respectively.

LIMITATIONS

The study did not have a long-term placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS

In this 52-week extension in patients with bipolar mania, asenapine was well tolerated and long-term maintenance of efficacy was supported.

Asenapine: a review of acute and extension phase data in bipolar disorder

The second generation atypical antipsychotic, asenapine (Saphris), was approved by the US FDA (August 2009) for the acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes with or without psychotic features associated with bipolar I disorder in adults as well as the acute treatment of schizophrenia. Asenapine exhibits a high affinity for and antagonism at several serotonergic (5-HT(2A-C), 5HT(5A), 5HT(6), 5HT(7)), dopaminergic (D(2), D(3)), alpha-adrenergic (α(1) and α(2)), and histaminergic (H1, H2) receptor subtypes. Asenapine is the first atypical antipsychotic formulated as a fast-dissolving, rapidly absorbed sublingual tablet. Asenapine was evaluated in adults with bipolar I disorder, manic or mixed episodes with or without psychotic features. Two identically designed 3-week registration trials confirmed the efficacy of asenapine relative to placebo in studies that included olanzapine as an active control. The placebo-subtracted rate of EPS (excluding akathisia) is 5% whereas the placebo-subtracted rate of akathisia was 2%. The placebo-subtracted rate of clinically significant weight gain (≥7%) with asenapine was approximately 5% during the 3-week acute mania trials. A 9- extension trial indicated that 19% of asenapine patients will experience clinically significant weight gain. Clinically significant metabolic abnormalities were not observed during the acute and/or extension trials. Asenapine can be associated with somnolence (asenapine 24%, placebo 6%) and does not appear to be associated with clinically significant changes in vital signs, laboratory parameters, or electrocardiographic changes. Bipolar depression and recurrence prevention studies are required to fully characterize this novel agent's position in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Pharmacology and efficacy of asenapine for manic and mixed states in adults with bipolar disorder

Asenapine sublingual is a novel atypical antipsychotic approved in August 2009 for the acute treatment of schizophrenia, as well as for manic or mixed episodes as part of adult bipolar I disorder. Asenapine's in vitro profile is similar to other atypical antipsychotic agents insofar as there is higher affinity for serotonin 5-HT(2A) versus dopamine D(2) receptors. Asenapine exhibits a unique effect on monoamine, histamine and muscarinic receptor affinities, as well as effects on NMDA and AMPA receptors. This pharmacodynamic signature may mediate its symptom relief in positive, negative and mood symptoms, as well as conferring upon this agent an improved tolerability and safety profile when compared with some atypical agents. Asenapine has a relatively low propensity for changes in metabolic parameters, body composition, sedation/somnolence and extrapyramidal side effects, and is not associated with prolactin elevation or clinically significant electrocardiographic changes. Asenapine is available only in sublingual formulation, which has advantages (e.g., patient acceptance, compliance, difficulty swallowing) as well as disadvantages (i.e., patients are encouraged not to eat or drink within 10 min of administration). Its efficacy in mania is unequivocally established as is the sustaining of its acute antimanic effect. Its antidepressant and recurrence prevention effects in bipolar disorder are under investigation, as is its possible role in major depressive disorder.

Asenapine in the treatment of acute mania in bipolar I disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Asenapine is indicated in adults for acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder with or without psychotic features. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessed the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of asenapine in bipolar I disorder.

METHODS

Adults experiencing manic or mixed episodes were randomized to 3 weeks of flexible-dose treatment with sublingual asenapine (day 1: 10mg BID, 5 or 10mg BID thereafter; n=185), placebo (n=98), or oral olanzapine (day 1: 15 mg QD, 5-20mg QD thereafter; n=205). Primary efficacy, YMRS total score change from baseline to day 21, was assessed using ANCOVA with last observation carried forward.

RESULTS

Mean daily doses were 18.4 mg asenapine and 15.9mg olanzapine. Least squares mean changes in YMRS total score on day 21 were significantly greater with asenapine than placebo (-11.5 vs -7.8; P<0.007), with advantage seen as early as day 2 (-3.2 vs -1.7; P=0.022). Changes with olanzapine on days 2 and 21 also exceeded placebo (both P<0.0001). YMRS response and remission rates with olanzapine, but not asenapine, exceeded those of placebo. Incidence of EPS-related adverse events was 10.3%, 3.1%, and 6.8% with asenapine, placebo, and olanzapine, respectively; incidence of clinically significant weight gain (7.2%; 1.2%; 19.0%). Mean weight change (baseline to endpoint) was 0.9, 0.1, and 2.6 kg with asenapine, placebo, and olanzapine, respectively.

LIMITATIONS

As this short-term study was designed for comparisons with placebo, any comparisons between asenapine and olanzapine should be interpreted cautiously.

CONCLUSIONS

Asenapine was superior to placebo in reducing YMRS total score and was well tolerated.