Findings related to effectiveness ( treatment discontinuation , quality of life , and neurocognitive improvements ) were generally consistent with those observed in non-Chinese population s. No new safety signals specific for Chinese population s were raised for olanzapine .
Chinese and non-Chinese population s with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder treated with olanzapine display broadly similar responses .
BACKGROUND Despite the burden of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the Chinese population , country-specific data to guide practitioners regarding antipsychotic therapy are lacking .
Effectiveness and safety of olanzapine in the treatment of schizophrenia among Asian patients switching from conventional antipsychotics
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were : ( 1 ) to investigate , in a clinical practice setting , the effectiveness of olanzapine in the treatment of schizophrenia among partially-responding , symptomatic Asian patients who switch from conventional antipsychotic treatment , ( 2 ) to assess the safety of olanzapine and ( 3 ) to assess the change in quality of life  in Asian patients with schizophrenia who switch to olanzapine .  METHODS Effectiveness , safety and quality of life were assessed in out patients with schizophrenia ( n=1267 ) who lacked symptomatic control with conventional antipsychotics and were switched to olanzapine therapy .  Data for this prospect i ve , observational study were collected for 12 months from Asian patients in China , Hong Kong , the Philippines , South Korea and Taiwan . RESULTS Significant clinical improvements ( P<0.05 ) were observed following 12 months of olanzapine treatment and 87.3 % of the subjects responded to treatment at endpoint ( i.e. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale Total score reduced by > or = 30 % relative to baseline ; last observation carried forward ) . Abnormal involuntary movements ( mean change in Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale : -3.20 , P<0.001 ) and quality of life were significantly improved in patients treated with olanzapine . However , some patients experienced significant weight gain ( 3.60+/-4.50 kg , P<0.001 ) with olanzapine treatment , relative to baseline . CONCLUSIONS This study shows that switching to olanzapine may be effective in improving symptoms , may be well-tolerated and may improve the quality of life  in Asian patients who are only partially responsive to treatment with conventional antipsychotics . The pragmatic design and naturalistic setting of this large study make the findings relevant for treating patients from some Asian countries in routine clinical practice
Findings related to effectiveness ( treatment discontinuation , quality of life , and neurocognitive improvements ) were generally consistent with those observed in non-Chinese population s. No new safety signals specific for Chinese population s were raised for olanzapine .
Chinese and non-Chinese population s with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder treated with olanzapine display broadly similar responses .
BACKGROUND Despite the burden of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the Chinese population , country-specific data to guide practitioners regarding antipsychotic therapy are lacking .