FDA Investigates 2 Deaths Involving Olanzapine

http://bit.ly/11JRDGb

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating 2 unexplained deaths of patients who received an intramuscular injection of the antipsychotic drug olanzapine pamoate (Zyprexa Relprevv, Eli Lilly).

The patients died 3 to 4 days after receiving an appropriate dose of the drug, well after the required postinjection monitoring period. Both patients were found to have very high olanzapine blood levels after death, the FDA said in a statement. High doses of olanzapine can cause delirium, cardiopulmonary arrest, cardiac arrhythmias, and reduced level of consciousness ranging from sedation to coma.