Poster at APA Annual Meeting Explores the Use of GLP-1 Agonists for Antipsychotic-Associated Metabolic Issues

At the 2025 APA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, Psychiatric Times sat down with Amir Meftah, MD, a PGY-2 resident at One Brooklyn Health Interfaith Medical Center, to discuss strategies for addressing the metabolic challenges associated with antipsychotic use and how clinicians can better support their patients.1

Meftah and colleagues conducted a literature review to ascertain a potential role for GLP-1 agonists in addressing antipsychotic metabolic issues. Specifically, the investigators looked at olanzapine and clozapine in the review. Meftah is presenting the data at the APA Annual Meeting.

“These are the two most effective antipsychotics,” Meftah said of clozapine and olanzapine. “But a lot of patients are hesitant to take them, and it’s very hard for clinicians to put patients on these medications because of the metabolic burden.”

Antipsychotics are known to increase the risk of weight gain, glucose dysregulation, and other cardiometabolic complications—often making prescribers and patients alike wary of their use despite their efficacy in treatment-resistant schizophrenia, he said.2 Meftah noted that while pharmaceutical companies have explored adjunctive strategies to mitigate these issues, most interventions have focused on stopping further weight gain rather than reversing it.

GLP-1 receptor agonists may represent a meaningful shift, Meftah told Psychiatric Times. “This class of medication helps reduce weight and improve glycemic control and lipid profiles like LDL,” Meftah explained. Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 agonists such as liraglutide and exenatide are now being explored in psychiatry for their potential to offset antipsychotic-induced metabolic effects.

Although unwanted effects are always a consideration, Meftah described the adverse events linked to GLP-1 agonists as manageable, given their efficacy. “The most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, and GI symptoms,” he said in the interview. “But they are usually dose dependent and transient.” He also noted that these effects can often be mitigated with supportive care, and in the studies reviewed, no patients discontinued treatment due to these side effects.

As interest in metabolic psychiatry grows, Meftah’s insights add to the expanding dialogue on how best to balance efficacy with safety in antipsychotic treatment.

References

1. Lawrence J, Meftah A, Efremoff S, et al. Potential of Glp-1 agonists in mitigating metabolic side effects associated with clozapine or olanzapine therapy: literature review. Presented at the 2025 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting; May 17 -21, 2025; Los Angeles, California.

2. Miller B. Antipsychotic Polypharmacy and Metabolic Disorder Risk in Individuals With Schizophrenia. Psychiatric Times. 2023;40(12):30.