Treatments for bipolar disorder are often associated with increased rates of metabolic syndrome (MetSy). MetSy is defined as meeting 3 of the following 5 criteria: waist circumference >40in (men) or >35in (women), triglycerides ≥150mg/dL, high density lipoprotein cholesterol <40mg/dL (men) or <50mg/dL (women), systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥130mmHg or diastolic BP ≥85mmHg, fasting glucose ≥100mg/dL.

MetSy elevates the risk of developing type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and premature morbidity. Lumateperone (LUMA), a mechanistically novel antipsychotic that simultaneously modulates serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate neurotransmission, is FDA-approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and depressive episodes associated with bipolar I or bipolar II disorder. This distinct pharmacological profile has been associated with favorable tolerability and a low risk of adverse metabolic effects in clinical trials.

LUMA 42-mg monotherapy was evaluated in 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled studies (Study 401 [NCT02600494]; Study 404 [NCT03249376]) in patients with a major depressive episode (MDE) associated with bipolar I or bipolar II disorder. This post hoc pooled analysis of these studies compares rates of MetSy with LUMA 42 mg and PBO in the treatment of bipolar depression.

The incidence and shift in MetSy were analyzed in data pooled from 2 studies that recruited patients aged 18–75 years with a confirmed diagnosis of bipolar I or bipolar II disorder who were experiencing an MDE (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS] Total score ≥20 and Clinical Global Impression Scale-Bipolar Version-Severity [CGI-BP-S] score ≥4). Patients in these studies were randomized 1:1 to LUMA or PBO and treated for 6 weeks.

The safety population comprised 746 patients (LUMA, 372; PBO, 374). Rates of MetSy were similar between groups at baseline (LUMA, 20.7%; PBO, 22.2%) and at the end of treatment (EOT, LUMA, 21.8%; PBO, 23.8%). More LUMA patients (36.4%) compared with PBO patients (30.1%) improved from having MetSy at baseline to no longer meeting MetSy criteria at EOT. The individual criteria that shifted the most from meeting MetSy criteria at baseline to no longer meeting criteria at EOT was BP for LUMA (46.8%) and glucose for PBO (43.2%). The rate of MetSy developed during treatment was similar for LUMA (10.8%) and PBO (10.7%) with approximately half of these patients (LUMA, 43.8%; PBO, 45.2%) shifting due to a change in ≥2 criteria.

In this post hoc analysis of 2 randomized, PBO-controlled trials in patients with a MDE associated with bipolar I or bipolar II disorder, LUMA 42 mg had similar rates of MetSy compared with PBO. These results suggest that LUMA 42 mg is a promising new treatment for bipolar depression with a favorable metabolic profile.

Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.