Objectives: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of lurasidone versus other atypical antipsychotic monotherapy agents in patients with bipolar depression, using a Bayesian network meta-analysis.
Methods: Fourteen randomised clinical trials (6221 patients) of lurasidone, quetiapine (extended release and immediate release), aripiprazole, olanzapine, and ziprasidone for bipolar depression were included. Efficacy assessments included change in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), rates of response (≥50% improvement in MADRS) and remission (MADRS ≤12 at study endpoint), and change in the Clinical Global Impressions-Bipolar Disorder-Severity (CGI-BP-S) scale. Tolerability outcomes included weight, somnolence, extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), and all-cause discontinuation. Changes from baseline or odds ratios (OR) with 95% credible intervals (CrI) were evaluated.
Results: Improvement in the MADRS associated with lurasidone treatment was significantly greater than placebo (-4.70, 95%CrI: -7.20, -2.21), aripiprazole (-3.62, 95%CrI: -7.04, -0.20), and ziprasidone (-3.38, 95%CrI: -6.68, -0.11), but not olanzapine (-0.15, 95%CrI: -3.12, 2.74) or quetiapine (0.10, 95%CrI: -2.68, 2.84). Results for improvement in the CGI-BP-S, and for response and remission were similar. Lurasidone was associated with less weight gain than olanzapine (-2.54 kg, 95%CrI: -3.42, -1.67) and quetiapine (-0.83kg, 95%CrI: -1.59, -0.08); and with lower rates of somnolence than quetiapine (OR: 0.33, 95%CrI: 0.11, 0.82) and ziprasidone (OR: 0.34, 95%CrI: 0.09, 0.93). No significant differences among atypical antipsychotic agents were observed in rates of discontinuation or in rates of EPS.
Conclusions: In this network meta-analysis, lurasidone was found to be more efficacious than aripiprazole and ziprasidone, and was associated with less weight gain than quetiapine and olanzapine and less somnolence than quetiapine and ziprasidone.
Keywords: Lurasidone; atypical antipsychotics; bipolar depression; network meta-analysis; systematic review.