FRIDAY, Feb. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Abilify (aripiprazole) to treat manic and mixed episodes in children aged 10 to 17 with bipolar 1 disorder, makers Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Inc. said Friday.

The drug has been approved for this and other uses in adults for several years.

The new approval was based on results from a four-week study involving children in this age group. The trial demonstrated the drug's effectiveness compared to a placebo, the drug companies said in a statement.

Abilify was first approved in November 2002, and nearly 15 million prescriptions had been written through December 2007, the statement said.

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