Health Canada to Update Safety Information on Pyschiatric Drug Lithium

CTV News reported yesterday that Health Canada is updating the safety information and treatment recommendations for lithium, which is often used to treat mania associated with bipolar disorder. At the moment, seven medications that contain lithium are available in Canada.

As quoted in the market news:

Lithium therapy may cause high levels of calcium in the bloodstream, which may or may not be accompanied by an increased level of parathormone, causing hyperparathyroidism.

While in many cases the effects of high blood calcium and/or parathormone are unnoticeable or mild, in severe cases they can be life-threatening, Health Canada said Wednesday in an advisory. Severe hypercalcemia can cause coma and cardiac arrest.

Health Canada is working with pharmaceutical companies to update product labels for lithium drugs to include new warnings about the risk of hypercalcemia and hyperparathyroidism, and the need to consider calcium monitoring before and during therapy.

Click here to read the full CTV News report.