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| |  Quetiapine Adds Benefit to Lithium and Divalproex in Long-Term Management of Bipolar Disorder: Presented at EPA By Jenny Powers MUNICH, Germany -- March 1, 2010 -- The addition of quetiapine to either lithium or divalproex significantly prevents recurrence of mood events in patients with bipolar I disorder compared with placebo treatments with either lithium or divalproex alone, according to a study presented here at the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) 18th European Congress of Psychiatry. The effect of quetiapine was consistent, regardless of whether it was administered in conjunction with either lithium or divalproex, according to Trisha Suppes, MD, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California. Dr. Suppes presented a pooled analysis of data from 2 long-term studies (D1447C00126; D1447C00127) here on February 28. The studies aimed to determine benefits of adding quetiapine to treatment regimens of lithium or divalproex in preventing mood events in patients with bipolar disorder. Patients (n = 1,326) received quetiapine 400 to 800 mg/day plus lithium or divalproex to achieve >=12 weeks of clinical stability; they were then randomised to receive double-blind treatment with quetiapine 400 to 800 mg/day plus lithium or divalproex or placebo plus lithium or divalproex for up to 104 weeks. Adding quetiapine to both lithium and divalproex significantly reduced the risk of recurrence of any mood event compared with placebo (P < .0001, for both). The addition of quetiapine to lithium or divalproex also reduced the risk of a mania or depression event by 60% to 76%, compared with the addition of placebo to lithium or divalproex (P = .0001). Also, the reduced risk of mood events did not differ irrespective of whether quetiapine was used together with lithium or divalproex: any mood event (P = .348); mania event (P = .668); and depression event (P = .375). However, between placebo treatments, significantly higher risk of recurrence of a mania event was seen in placebo plus lithium than placebo plus divalproex: any mood event (P = .816); mania event (P = .035); and depression event (P = .107). Dr. Suppes concluded that patients with bipolar I disorder maintained longer mood- and event-free periods and that quetiapine significantly reduced the risk of either a mania or depression event. All treatment modalities were well tolerated by the patients, and adverse events were consistent with those seen with treatment with each agent. Funding for this study was provided by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. [Presentation title: Maintenance Treatment With Quetiapine Added to Either Lithium or Divalproex in Bipolar I Disorder. Abstract PW01-38]
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