Long-Acting Zyprexa Approved

MONDAY, Dec. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Zyprexa Relprevv (olanzapine), a long-acting version of the antipsychotic drug Zyprexa, has been approved to treat schizophrenia in adults, maker Eli Lilly said Monday.

The single injection lasts up to four weeks, the drug maker said in a news release. Clinical studies involving 2,054 people found Zyprexa Relprevv effective in managing symptoms of schizophrenia, including hallucinations, delusions, apathy and social withdrawal.

The brain disorder affects about 1.1 percent of the American population, or some 2.4 million people, Lilly said.

Possible adverse reactions could include sedation (including coma) and delirium. Elderly people with dementia-related psychosis are at increased risk of death from the drug and should not take it, the company said.

More information

To learn more about this drug, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness.