Atypical antipsychotic drugs, including REXULTI, have caused metabolic changes including hyperglycemia, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and body weight gain. Although all of the drugs in the class to date have been shown to produce some metabolic changes, each drug has its own specific risk profile. 

Hyperglycemia and Diabetes Mellitus

Hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus, in some cases extreme and associated with diabetic ketoacidosis hyperosmolar coma or death, have been reported in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics. There have been reports of hyperglycemia in patients treated with REXULTI. Assess fasting plasma glucose before or soon after initiation of antipsychotic medication and monitor periodically during long-term treatment.

Adjunctive Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: In the 6-week placebo-controlled, fixed-dose clinical studies in adult patients with MDD, the proportions of patients with shifts in fasting glucose from normal (<100 mg/dL) to high (≥126 mg/dL) and borderline (≥100 and <126 mg/dL) to high were similar in patients treated with REXULTI and placebo. In the long-term, open-label depression studies, 5% of adult patients with normal baseline fasting glucose experienced a shift to high while taking REXULTI plus an antidepressant (ADT); 25% of patients with borderline fasting glucose experienced shifts to high. Combined, 9% of patients with normal or borderline fasting glucose experienced shifts to high fasting glucose during the long-term depression studies.

Schizophrenia (Adults): In the 6-week placebo-controlled, fixed-dose clinical studies in adult patients with schizophrenia, the proportions of patients with shifts in fasting glucose from normal (<100 mg/dL) to high (≥126 mg/dL) or borderline (≥100 and <126 mg/dL) to high were similar in patients treated with REXULTI and placebo. In the long-term, open-label schizophrenia studies, 8% of adult patients with normal baseline fasting glucose experienced a shift from normal to high while taking REXULTI; 17% of patients with borderline fasting glucose experienced shifts from borderline to high. Combined, 10% of patients with normal or borderline fasting glucose experienced shifts to high fasting glucose during the long-term schizophrenia studies.

Schizophrenia Pediatric Patients (13 to 17 years of age): In the long-term, open-label study in pediatric patients with schizophrenia, 2.7% of pediatric patients with normal baseline fasting glucose experienced a shift from normal (<100 mg/dL) to high (≥126 mg/dL) while taking REXULTI. 

Agitation Associated with Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease: In the 12-week placebo-controlled, fixed-dose studies in patients (51 to 90 years of age) with agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, the proportions of patients with shifts in fasting glucose from normal (<100 mg/dL) to high (≥126 mg/dL) or impaired (≥100 and <126 mg/dL) to high were similar in patients treated with REXULTI (14%) and patients treated with placebo (16%). 

Of the patients who were previously treated with REXULTI for 12-weeks and continued into a 12-week, active-treatment extension study, 15% of patients with normal baseline fasting glucose experienced a shift from normal (<100 mg/dL) to high (≥126 mg/dL) fasting glucose while taking REXULTI; 30% of patients with impaired fasting glucose experienced shifts from impaired fasting glucose (≥100 and <126 mg/dL) to high fasting glucose. Combined, 20% of patients with normal or impaired fasting glucose experienced shifts to high fasting glucose. 

Dyslipidemia

Atypical antipsychotics cause adverse alterations in lipids. Before or soon after initiation of antipsychotic medication, obtain a fasting lipid profile at baseline and monitor periodically during treatment.

Adjunctive Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: In the 6-week placebo-controlled, fixed-dose clinical studies in adult patients with MDD, changes in fasting total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol were similar in REXULTI- and placebo-treated patients. Table 3 shows the proportions of patients with changes in fasting triglycerides.

In the long-term, open-label depression studies, shifts in baseline fasting cholesterol from normal to high were reported in 9% (total cholesterol), 3% (LDL cholesterol), and shifts in baseline from normal to low were reported in 14% (HDL cholesterol) of patients taking REXULTI. Of patients with normal baseline triglycerides, 17% experienced shifts to high, and 0.2% experienced shifts to very high. Combined, 0.6% of patients with normal or borderline fasting triglycerides experienced shifts to very high fasting triglycerides during the long-term depression studies.

Schizophrenia (Adults): In the 6-week placebo-controlled, fixed-dose clinical studies in adult patients with schizophrenia, changes in fasting total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol were similar in REXULTI- and placebo-treated patients. Table 4 shows the proportions of patients with changes in fasting triglycerides.

In the long-term, open-label schizophrenia studies in adult patients, shifts in baseline fasting cholesterol from normal to high were reported in 6% (total cholesterol), 2% (LDL cholesterol), and shifts in baseline from normal to low were reported in 17% (HDL cholesterol) of patients taking REXULTI. Of patients with normal baseline triglycerides, 13% experienced shifts to high, and 0.4% experienced shifts to very high triglycerides. Combined, 0.6% of patients with normal or borderline fasting triglycerides experienced shifts to very high fasting triglycerides during the long-term schizophrenia studies.

Schizophrenia [Pediatric Patients (13 to 17 years of age)]: In the long-term, open-label study in pediatric patients with schizophrenia, shifts in baseline fasting total cholesterol from normal to high (<170 to ≥200 mg/dL) were reported in 7% of patients taking REXULTI, and shifts in baseline HDL cholesterol from normal to low (≥40 to <40 mg/dL) were reported in 12.9% of patients taking REXULTI. Of patients with normal baseline triglycerides, 8.5% experienced shifts from normal to high (<150 to ≥200 mg/dL). 

Agitation Associated with Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease: In the 12-week placebo-controlled, fixed-dose clinical studies in patients (55 to 90 years of age) with agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, changes in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol were similar in REXULTI- and placebo-treated patients. 

Table 5 shows the proportions of patients with changes in fasting triglycerides in REXULTI- and placebo-treated patients. 

Of the patients who were previously treated with REXULTI for 12 weeks and continued into a 12-week, active-treatment extension study, 9% of patients taking REXULTI showed shifts in baseline fasting total cholesterol from normal (<200 mg/dL) to high (≥240 mg/dL), and 16% of patients taking REXULTI showed shifts in baseline HDL cholesterol from normal to low (≥40 to <40 mg/dL). Of the patients with normal baseline triglycerides, 18% experienced shifts from normal (<150 mg/dL) to high (200 to <500 mg/dL). 

Weight Gain

Weight gain has been observed in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics, including REXULTI. Monitor weight at baseline and frequently thereafter.

Adjunctive Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: Table 6 shows weight gain data at last visit and percentage of adult patients with ≥7% increase in body weight at endpoint from the 6-week placebo-controlled, fixed-dose clinical studies in patients with MDD.

In the long-term, open-label depression studies, 4% of patients discontinued due to weight increase. REXULTI was associated with mean change from baseline in weight of 2.9 kg at Week 26 and 3.1 kg at Week 52. In the long-term, open-label depression studies, 30% of patients demonstrated a ≥7% increase in body weight, and 4% demonstrated a ≥7% decrease in body weight.

Schizophrenia (Adults): Table 7 shows weight gain data at last visit and percentage of adult patients with ≥7% increase in body weight at endpoint from the 6-week placebo-controlled, fixed-dose clinical studies in adult patients with schizophrenia.

In the long-term, open-label schizophrenia studies in adult patients, 0.6% of patients discontinued due to weight increase. REXULTI was associated with mean change from baseline in weight of 1.3 kg at Week 26 and 2.0 kg at Week 52. In the long-term, open label schizophrenia studies, 20% of patients demonstrated a ≥7% increase in body weight, and 10% demonstrated a ≥7% decrease in body weight.

Schizophrenia [Pediatric Patients (13 to 17 years of age)]: In the long-term, open label study in pediatric patients with schizophrenia, 0.5% of patients discontinued due to weight increase. The mean increase in weight from the open-label study baseline to last visit was 3.8 kg. To adjust for normal growth, z-scores were derived (measured in standard deviations [SD]), which normalize for natural growth of children and adolescents by comparisons to age- and gender- matched population standards. A z-score change <0.5 SD is considered not clinically significant. In this study, the mean change in z-score from open-label baseline to last visit was 0.10 SD for body weight, while 20% of patients had an increase in age-and-gender-adjusted body weight z-score of at least 0.5 SD from baseline. When treating pediatric, weight gain should be monitored and assessed against that expected for normal growth.

Agitation Associated with Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease: In the 12-week placebo-controlled, fixed-dose clinical studies in patients (51 to 90 years of age) with agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, the proportion of the patients with a ≥7% increase in body weight (kg) at any visit were 2% in REXULTI compared to 0% in placebo group. 

In patients who were previously treated with REXULTI for 12 weeks and who continued into a 12-week, active-treatment extension study, there was no mean change in weight (kg) from baseline to last visit in association with REXULTI. In this extension study, 4% of patients demonstrated ≥7% increase in body weight, and 5% demonstrated a ≥7% decrease in body weight from baseline to last visit.