Plasma olanzapine in relation to prescribed dose and other factors: data from a therapeutic drug monitoring service, 1999-2009.

Olanzapine therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is the measurement of plasma olanzapine to assess adherence and guide dosage. We have audited data from an olanzapine TDM service, 1999-2009. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the contribution of dose, age, sex, body weight, and smoking status to the plasma olanzapine concentration. There were 5856 samples from 3207 patients. The prescribed olanzapine dosage was 2.5 to 95 mg/d. No olanzapine was detected in 6% of samples. For olanzapine dosages of 2.5 to 20 mg/d, only 35% of results were within a suggested target range of 20 to 39 ng/mL. At doses above 20 mg/d, 30% to 59% of results were 60 ng/mL or greater depending on dose band. In patients aged 17 years or younger (92 samples), median plasma olanzapine was higher than that in adult patients at almost all olanzapine doses. Multiple linear regression analysis of results from 627 adults from whom complete data were available showed that dose, smoking status, sex, age, and body weight together explained 24% the variance in plasma olanzapine. Degree of adherence, timing of sample postdose, drug-drug interactions, and pharmacogenetic factors also may have contributed to the observed variance. However, it is clear that female nonsmokers had higher plasma olanzapine concentrations for a given dose than male smokers. Olanzapine TDM is useful in assessing adherence and may have a role in limiting olanzapine dosage to minimize the risk of long-term toxicity.

Plasma clozapine and norclozapine in patients prescribed different brands of clozapine (Clozaril, Denzapine, and Zaponex).

To investigate the bioequivalence of the three clozapine brands licensed in the United Kingdom, we compared plasma clozapine and norclozapine in therapeutic drug monitoring samples from patients switched from Clozaril to either Denzapine or Zaponex tablets. For Clozaril/Denzapine, the median prescribed clozapine dose was 450 mg/day (range, 125-850 mg/day) (n = 66) and the median time between samples was 16 weeks. The Clozaril/Zaponex comparison (n = 57) was not dose-controlled; the median Clozaril dose was 450 mg/day (range, 150-900 mg/day) and the median Zaponex dose 400 mg/day (range, 100-850 mg/day). The median time between samples was 19 weeks. There was no significant difference in mean plasma clozapine and norclozapine concentration before and after switching in either case, although some individual results showed clinically relevant concentration differences. Plasma norclozapine showed greater reproducibility between samples than clozapine. The different brands of clozapine available in the United Kingdom show bioequivalence. Nevertheless, careful monitoring of mental state, smoking habit, adherence, and of possible life-threatening adverse effects is mandatory if the drug is to be used safely.

Plasma clozapine, norclozapine, and the clozapine:norclozapine ratio in relation to prescribed dose and other factors: data from a therapeutic drug monitoring service, 1993-2007.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of plasma clozapine and of its principal plasma metabolite N-desmethylclozapine (norclozapine) (predose or "trough" sample) can help in monitoring adherence, in dose adjustment, and in minimizing the risk of toxicity. To obtain data to assist in the interpretation of analytical results, the results from a clozapine therapeutic drug monitoring service, 1993-2007, have been audited. There were 104,127 samples from 26,796 patients [18,750 (70%) men aged at time of first sample (median, range) 34 (10-89) years, and 7763 (30%) female aged 38 (12-90) years]. Clozapine was not detected (plasma concentration <0.01 mg/L) in 1.5% of samples (prescribed clozapine dose up to 900 mg/d). Plasma clozapine was either below 0.35 mg/L or greater than 0.60 mg/L in 42.5% and 28.4% of samples, respectively; in 0.4% samples plasma clozapine was 2.0 mg/L or more. Although plasma clozapine was broadly related to prescribed dose, there was much variation: 1.2% of samples had plasma clozapine >1.0 mg/L at prescribed clozapine doses up to 150 mg/d (76.2% < 0.35 mg/L), whereas 23.3% of samples had plasma clozapine < 0.35 mg/L at doses of 850 mg/d and over (18.0% > 1.0 mg/L). The highest plasma clozapine and norclozapine concentrations encountered were 4.95 and 2.45 mg/L, respectively. Although the median plasma clozapine:norclozapine ratio was 1.25 at plasma clozapine concentrations < 0.35 mg/L, the median ratio was 2.08 at plasma clozapine concentrations > 1.0 mg/L. Data (median, 10th-90th percentile) for both clozapine and norclozapine by prescribed clozapine dose band are useful in assessing partial adherence. Analysis of the plasma clozapine:norclozapine ratio by clozapine concentration provides clear evidence that clozapine N-demethylation becomes saturated at higher plasma clozapine concentrations and adds urgency to the requirement for dose adjustment should smoking habit change. A clozapine:norclozapine ratio greater then 2 suggests either a nontrough sample, or that clozapine N-demethylation has become saturated.