AttorneyAtLaw.com
December 4, 2009

The use of powerful antipsychotic drugs like Seroquel and Zyprexa in children should be further studied to determine the risks of metabolic disorders and other serious health complications, Food and Drug Administration staffers say in a new report.

FDA drug reviewers said medical researchers have found a direct link between the use of so-called atypical antipsychotics in younger children and weight gain, high cholesterol, and increased blood pressure, according to a Reuters news report.

Seroquel, Zyprexa and similar antipsychotic drugs are not approved for use in children, but an estimated two million American children are given the drugs by doctors each year to treat a variety of psychiatric disorders. An FDA advisory panel recently recommended approving their use in kids.

The research findings should prompt further FDA evaluation to determine the extent of the risks and possibly take action to limit the use of Zyprexa, Seroquel, and similar drugs in younger age groups, staff in the FDA’s division of pharmacovigilance wrote in an October 14 memo, according to Reuters.

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