Zyprexa News: Zyprexa, Risperdal and Clozaril May Increase Risk of Pancreatitis

Zyprexa, Risperdal and Clozaril May Increase Risk of Pancreatitis

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Date: 9/2/2003

News Source: New York Times

Summary: Atypical anti-psychotic drugs Clozaril, Zyprexa and Risperdal may increase a patients' risk of developing pancreatitis when compared with older drugs like Haldol, according to a new study published in the September issue of the journal Pharmacotherapy.

The analysis was based on 192 cases of pancreatitis reported to the Food and Drug Administration or written up in medical journals between January 1981 and February 2000. The New York Times reported that researchers "found that more cases were associated with three newer drugs than with an older generation drug."

According to their findings, 72 cases occurred in patients taking Clozaril, 62 in patients taking Zyprexa, 31 in patients taking Risperdal, and 12 in patients taking Haldol. The remaining 15 cases occurred among patients who took more than one antipsychotic drug, the New York Times reported.

Researchers also discovered 22 patients with pancreatitis died.

"We're seeing differences in the number of cases reported with Haldol and with newer drugs but we don't know why," said Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy, chief of the division of biological psychiatry at Duke University. "Nothing in this report should deter or discourage anyone from the appropriate use of newer anti-psychotics," Dr. Doraiswamy said.