New Study Shows ADHD Treatment Superior to Standard Therapy at Reducing Inattention, Other ADHD Symptoms

Longer-lasting Medication Can Eliminate Need for Medication at School

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WASHINGTON, May 19 -- A new study presented here today shows that a treatment for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Adderall(R) (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product), was significantly better at reducing inattention and other ADHD symptoms than the standard ADHD treatment.

These findings were observed with 70% of patients taking Adderall on once-daily dosing, and 15% of patients taking Ritalin(R) (methylphenidate) on once-daily dosing. This type of dosing is important, as it allows children to avoid taking their medication in school.

A second study that analyzed patient records also showed that children taking Adderall were more likely than those taking Ritalin to avoid needing an in-school dose of medication -- and were less likely to switch or discontinue their medication. The new studies were presented here at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.

"Other drugs used to treat ADHD can require dosing three times a day, including a midday dose that typically must be given at school," said Steven Pliszka, M.D., lead investigator of one of the studies and chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. "In our study, Adderall not only was more effective, but also lasted longer, so a single dose given in the morning often covered the entire school day."

In-school dosing can be a serious issue. Children can suffer from the stigma of having to take their medication at school, in front of their peers. In some instances, teen-agers are put in charge of taking their own medication, and may forget -- or be too embarrassed -- to take their midday dose. Bringing a medication to school also increases the chances that it will be misplaced or fall into the wrong hands.

In-school dosing also can be a burden on school nurses, who have a variety of responsibilities in addition to dispensing medication to students. The reduced need for in-school dosing could give nurses more time to concentrate on other duties, such as tending to sick students and conducting health education programs in the classroom, according to Judith Vessey, Ph.D., of the National Association of School Nurses. Some schools even lack the resources to have a nurse on staff, adding further to the problem of in-school dosing.

"Avoiding having to take medication in school is an important benefit, as it can ease the burden on school staff who are responsible for administering medication, and it allows kids to go through their school day without interruption or embarrassment," said Dr. Vessey, Professor of Nursing at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

Key findings of the new studies

Results showed that Adderall was significantly superior to Ritalin in reducing inattention and opposition at the doses studied (p0.05). In addition, the study showed that 70% of patients taking Adderall and 15% of patients taking Ritalin were still on once-daily dosing at the end of the study, based on a pre-defined dose titration scheme.

"These new studies clearly support the use of Adderall as a first-line therapy for ADHD, because it can eliminate the issue of in-school dosing and thus help improve compliance -- a major concern with ADHD medications," said Stephen Grcevich, M.D., lead investigator of one of the studies and Senior Clinical Instructor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Dr. Grcevich's study evaluated data from the medical charts of 164 children with ADHD, and compared the dosing strategies (such as the need for in-school dosing) and safety of Adderall. Fifty-four of the children had been prescribed Adderall during their initial visit, while 75 children had been prescribed Ritalin.

The study showed that 48% of children who took Adderall did not require in-school dosing, whereas 88% of children who took Ritalin did require an in-school dose (p 0.0001). In addition, only 9% of children who took Adderall discontinued or switched their initial therapy within the first six months of treatment, compared with 39% of children who started therapy with Ritalin (p 0.001).

In the studies, both medications were well tolerated, and side effects were similar to placebo. The most common side effects associated with stimulant use are insomnia, loss of appetite, stomach pain, headache, irritability, and weight loss.

Facts about ADHD

The new studies were funded with a grant from Shire Richwood Inc., which manufactures Adderall.

CONTACT: Sheryl Sulkin of Edelman Public Relations, 212-704-4485, for Shire Richwood Inc.