Seroquel 100 is a 100 mg dosage of Seroquel, a brand-name prescription drug that is in a class of medicines called antipsychotics. Seroquel 100 is FDA-approved to treat schizophrenia in people ages 13 and older, bipolar disorder in adults and manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder in children ages 10 to 17. AstraZeneca manufactures the Seroquel brand of products, which had $4.2 billion in sales in 2009, according to IMS Health.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder that is chronic, severe and disabling. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that schizophrenia affects about 1.1 percent of the adults in the U.S. ages 18 and older each year. Schizophrenia can affect both men and women at approximately the same frequency. Symptoms often begin in the late teens or early twenties in men and in the twenties or early thirties in women, but can begin in childhood among both genders. These symptoms include hearing voices, seeing hallucinations and experiencing delusions, movement disorders, social withdrawal, and paranoia and fear about being harmed by others.
The efficacy of Seroquel for schizophrenia was established in three 6-week clinical trials for adults and in one 6-week clinical trial for adolescents. Scientists conducting a clinical trial of Seroquel for the treatment of schizophrenia concluded the optimum dose is probably greater than 250 mg per day, according to research published in Archives of General Psychiatry. The FDA-approved recommended dosage for adults is 150 to 750 mg per day and for adolescents is 400 to 800 mg per day.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic-depression, is a mental health condition characterized by severe mood swings between manic highs and depressive lows. People with bipolar disorder can achieve much in their mania phase and feel sad and blue in the depressed phase. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 2.6 percent of U.S. adults ages 18 years and older have bipolar disorder each year. The median age when the disorder begins is 25.
The efficacy of Seroquel for bipolar disorder in adults was established in two 12-week monotherapy clinical trials and one 3-week adjunctive trial. For children and adolescents ages 10 to 17, the efficacy of Seroquel for bipolar disorder was established in one 3-week mono-therapy clinical trial. The FDA approved recommended dosage for adults is 400 to 800 mg per day and for adolescents is 400 to 600 mg per day.
Warnings and Precautions
Despite Seroquel's efficacy, the FDA mandated a black box warning for serious side effects that include risk of death in the elderly, with dementia and risk of suicidal thoughts and actions. In adults, Seroquel 100 can cause dry mouth, dizziness and constipation. In children and adolescents it can cause fatigue, increased appetite and vomiting. Other adverse reactions of Seroquel 100 include weight gain, high blood sugar, increased blood pressure and cataracts.
References
- AstraZeneca: Seroquel
- IMS Health: Top 15 U.S. Pharmaceutical Products by Sales
- National Institute of Mental Health: Schizophrenia
- "Archives of General Psychiatry"; Quetiapine in Patients with Schizophrenia; Small, J.G.; Jun 1997
- National Institute of Mental Health: The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America
