Olanzapine ODT – who is this alternative for? A simple guide in questions and answers

In this article, I tried to answer the most common questions regarding the use of olanzapine in the form of orodispersible tablets (ODT) in a most simple and clear way. These questions are often asked by medical practitioners with many years of experience in using olanzapine in the form of traditional tablets. This shows that the topic is not clear and obvious and requires more extensive coverage. In the article, I also referred to the second, extremely important issue, the use of olanzapine in combination therapy in order to avoid adverse long-term metabolic consequences that may occur during monotherapy with olanzapine and the problem of drug resistance.

Olanzapine, an atypical neuroleptic from the group of thienobenzodiazepine derivatives, has a special affinity for 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, 5-HT3, a1, D2, D4, M1 and H1 receptors. The drug mainly affects transmission within the mesolimbic pathway, with little effect on the nigrostriatal pathway. The advantages of olanzapine are its effectiveness in terms of influencing both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, with a minimal risk of inducing unwanted extrapyramidal effects. The drug is also approved for the treatment of moderate to severe bipolar mania and for the prevention of recurrence of bipolar disorder in patients who have responded well to olanzapine therapy in the treatment of a manic episode. It is worth noting that a significant percentage of olanzapine applications is, however, off-label use, mainly in the treatment of drug-resistant depression, personality disorders, behavioral disorders in children and adolescents and in patients with dementia.

Due to the fact that we are dealing with a drug that is used so often, it is definitely worth understanding the differences in the use of olanzapine in the form of classic tablets and in the form of ODT.