Economic, clinical, and quality-of-life outcomes associated with olanzapine treatment in mania: results from a randomized controlled trial

This is a critical abstract of an economic evaluation that meets the criteria for inclusion on NHS EED. Each abstract contains a brief summary of the methods, the results and conclusions followed by a detailed critical assessment on the reliability of the study and the conclusions drawn. There were direct cost-savings of almost $900 per month, largely driven by inpatient cost reductions over the open label extension. In terms of quality of life measures, statistically significant improvements from the baseline were seen in five of the eight dimensions. The statistically significant decrease in the vitality score may have indicated a mood stabilising effect associated with olanzapine treatment. The authors also concluded that the study demonstrated that olanzapine had a significant impact in the treatment of mania. Their results suggested that olanzapine might be a cost-effective option for the treatment of acute mania episodes, as well as in the maintenance of response over an extended period of time.