News tagged with 'Abilify'

Abilify by Bristol Myers Squibb was just approved by the FDA for treatment of autism-related irritability and acting out. It is among a group of antipsychotics that cause weight gain in users.

Atypical antipsychotics used in young patients for the first time led to a weight gain of anywhere from 11 to 19 pounds in just 11 weeks and an increase in cholesterol and triglycerides, making some question whether the drugs are a long-term solution for young people with psychiatric disorders.

When Florida began requiring physicians to obtain approval from the state before prescribing antipsychotics to children under the age of six, something dramatic happened - prescriptions dropped 75 percent. The same trend is being seen nationwide. 

In a routine pediatric safety review on Tuesday, an outside panel of experts unanimously requested more long-term data on the side effects of prescribing powerful antipsychotic drugs to children including Risperdal and Zyprexa.