FDA Warns: Antipsychotic Zyprexa Causes Adolescent Weight Gain

The Food and Drug Administration is again warning doctors and patients about the risks of weight gain and diabetes in children and teens prescribed the powerful antipsychotic drug Zyprexa.

Zyprexa (olanzapine) is approved for treating children as young as 13 and adults with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Past studies have found adolescents taking Zyprexa are more likely to suffer dramatic weight gain. One October 2009 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found children taking Zyprexa gained on average 18.7 pounds after 11 weeks on the drug.

Many current and former Zyprexa users have sued the drug’s maker, Eli Lilly, for damages associated with the medication. The lawsuits accuse the company of covering up known risks of its blockbuster drug, including weight gain in adolescents.

Zyprexa Labeling Updated

The FDA recently announced revised labeling warnings on Zyprexa to address continuing concerns about weight gain and other adverse side effects. The revised labeling now advises doctors to consider side effects including weight gain and hyperlipidemia in adolescents given the drug.

“Clinicians should consider the potential long-term risks when prescribing to adolescents, and in many cases this may lead them to consider prescribing other drugs first in adolescents,” the revised label says.

Many Zyprexa users may have been prescribed the drug for unapproved, “off label” uses to treat disorders such as anxiety disorder, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, and other psychological disorders. While drug companies cannot legally promote off label uses of their approved drugs, doctors are free to prescribe approved medications for unapproved treatments when they see fit.

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