title: Drug safety evaluation of olanzapine/fluoxetine combination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) are common and recurrent conditions associated with significant disability, morbidity and mortality. Despite the clear need for effective treatments, only a few medications have been approved in the US for these indications. The combined formulation of olanzapine-fluoxetine (OFC) has been available for a decade now, thus a review on its safety profile and comparative efficacy is timely and can help clinicians to determine the benefit/risk profile of OFC within the context of other treatment alternatives.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper summarizes the rationale and evidence supporting the use of OFC for both bipolar I depressive episodes and TRD with a focus on safety and tolerability. Product labels and the search engine PubMed was used to obtain relevant information on this subject.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although further comparative studies are needed, the literature confirms that the OFC is an effective treatment for bipolar I depressive episodes, as well as major depressive episodes that have not responded to several adequate courses of antidepressant therapy. Its use as a first-line treatment for bipolar I depressive episodes and at a higher rung of algorithms for patients with TRD is limited by its propensity to cause weight gain and associated metabolic symptoms.
authors: Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychiatry , Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309 , USA.
authors: Mario A
authors: MA
authors: Cristancho
authors: Michael E
authors: ME
authors: Thase
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; C492572:olanzapine-fluoxetine combination; D005473:Fluoxetine; D001569:Benzodiazepines
keywords: bipolar depression; olanzapine-fluoxetine combination; safety and tolerability; treatment-resistant depression