--- title: "Psych News Alert: Study Finds Olanzapine-Fluoxetine Combo Superior to Placebo for Bipolar Disorder in Children" description: A combination of the antipsychotic olanzapine and the antidepressant fluoxetine proved superior to placebo for acute treatment of bipolar... image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_188783174-Jun-24-2025-07-35-25-8577-PM.jpg --- 12/30/14 12:00 AM # Study Finds Olanzapine-Fluoxetine Combo Superior to Placebo for Bipolar Disorder in Children ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/study-finds-olanzapine-fluoxetine-combo.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/study-finds-olanzapine-fluoxetine-combo.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/study-finds-olanzapine-fluoxetine-combo.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/study-finds-olanzapine-fluoxetine-combo.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/study-finds-olanzapine-fluoxetine-combo.html) | ![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_188783174-4.jpg?width=200&height=125&name=shutterstock_188783174-4.jpg) | | | --- | --- | A combination of the antipsychotic olanzapine and the antidepressant fluoxetine proved superior to placebo for acute treatment of bipolar I depression in patients aged 10-17 in a randomized control trial published [online](http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0890-8567(14)00891-0/abstract) in the *Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry*. The double-blind study by researchers at Eli Lilly and Company randomized 170 young patients with bipolar I disorder experiencing an acute depressed episode to the olanzapine/fluoxetine combination (OFC) and 85 to placebo for up to eight weeks of treatment. The primary efficacy measure was mean change in the Children’s Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R). Baseline-to-week-8 least-squares mean change in CDRS-R score was greater for OFC-treated patients than for placebo-treated patients, with between-group differences statistically significant at week 1 and all subsequent visits. Rates of and times to response and remission were statistically significantly greater for OFC- than placebo-treated patients. The most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events in the OFC group were weight gain, increased appetite, and somnolence. Treatment-emergent hyperlipidemia was common among OFC-treated patients. “OFC was superior to placebo and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the acute treatment of bipolar I depression in patients 10-17 years of age. Benefits should be weighed versus the risk of adverse events, particularly weight gain and hyperlipidemia,” the researchers said. To read more about research on child and adolescent bipolar disorder, see the *Psychiatric News* article, "[Link Found Between Glutamate, Adolescent Bipolar Disorder](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2014.7a17)." (Image: Blade Tucker/shutterstock.com) [children](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/children), [bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/bipolar-disorder), [olanzapine](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/olanzapine), [fluoxetine](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/fluoxetine) ## Related posts [pediatrics](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/pediatrics), [bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/bipolar-disorder), [psychopharmacology](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychopharmacology) ## [Asenapine Found to Be Safe, Effective in Youth With Manic or Mixed Episode of Bipolar I Disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/11/asenapine-found-to-be-safe-effective-in.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 11/25/15 12:00 AM The second-generation antipsychotic asenapine may help to reduce mania and the severity of illness... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/11/asenapine-found-to-be-safe-effective-in.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/masks-bipolar_63140476-Jun-24-2025-09-32-29-0392-PM.jpg?height=200&name=masks-bipolar_63140476-Jun-24-2025-09-32-29-0392-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/fast-acting-antidepressant-may-spark.html) [psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [antidepressants](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/antidepressants), [ketamine](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/ketamine), [bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/bipolar-disorder), [Biological Psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/biological-psychiatry), [clinical trial](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/clinical-trial), [NIMH](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/nimh) ## [Fast-Acting Antidepressant May Spark Treatment Advances](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/fast-acting-antidepressant-may-spark.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 5/30/12 12:00 AM A fast-acting antidepressant would be a helpful addition to the psychiatrist’s tool chest. Most... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/fast-acting-antidepressant-may-spark.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/bipolar2_43560805-Jun-24-2025-07-29-53-9147-PM.jpg?height=200&name=bipolar2_43560805-Jun-24-2025-07-29-53-9147-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/06/antidepressant-therapy-alone-in-bipolar.html) [ajp in advance](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/ajp-in-advance), [mania](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mania), [bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/bipolar-disorder), [mood stabilizer](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mood-stabilizer) ## [Antidepressant Therapy Alone in Bipolar Disorder Associated With Mania Risk, Study Shows](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/06/antidepressant-therapy-alone-in-bipolar.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 6/17/14 12:00 AM Antidepressant monotherapy in patients with bipolar disorder appears to be associated with an... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/06/antidepressant-therapy-alone-in-bipolar.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert" }, "dateModified" : "2025-06-24T19:38:40.392Z", "datePublished" : "2014-12-30T05:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Psych News Alert: Study Finds Olanzapine-Fluoxetine Combo Superior to Placebo for Bipolar Disorder in Children", "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_188783174-Jun-24-2025-07-35-25-8577-PM.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/12/study-finds-olanzapine-fluoxetine-combo.html", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg" } } } ```