Background: Studies have reported liver injury as a consequence of antipsychotic treatment. Very heavy alcohol drinking (ten or more drinks/day for men and eight for women) also causes liver injury. This study aims to evaluate liver injury with quetiapine extended release (XR) in very heavy drinking alcohol-dependent (AD) patients.
Methods: Two hundred and eighteen AD patients, 18-65 years of age, received 12 weeks of quetiapine XR or placebo treatment in a dose-escalated manner reaching the full dose of 400 mg/day during week 4. Blood chemistry and hematology were assessed at baseline (W0), post-titration at the end of week 3 (W4), week 8 (W8), and end of week 12 (W13). Patients were further grouped as GR.1 (no liver injury, ALT ≤40) and GR.2 (pre-existing liver injury, ALT >40) within each treatment. Drinking history, fasting blood glucose concentration (FBG), and lipid panel were used as covariates in the analyses.
Results: Liver injury and total drinks and average drinking measures from the Timeline follow-back questionnaire (TLFB) were highly associated. No significant exacerbation in liver injury was observed in patients treated with quetiapine XR in GR.2. Liver injury as determined by elevated alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) was reported in a few patients in GR.1 who received quetiapine XR; however, the occurrence was low, and the level of liver injury was not significant. FBG and lipid measures showed some elevation, but did not show any significant association with liver injury.
Conclusion: Quetiapine XR did not show any significant exacerbation of liver injury in very heavy drinking alcohol-dependent patients with pre-existing liver injury. Frequency and severity of new liver injury cases in quetiapine XR-treated patients without any pre-existing liver injury was also low. Study findings support medical management of AD patients with heavy drinking profile using quetiapine XR formulation.