ADHD Medications and Treatments: ADHD Medications in Development

I receive many questions about alternatives to existing medications on the market for ADHD, and what is being developed for the future. Although I can't tell you when new drugs will be available, I can tell you what is in the pipeline:

Methylphenidate Transdermal System (MTS): A methylphenidate (brand name Ritalin by a different company) patch. Studies so far have yielded positive results and FDA approval is pending. MTS is a product of Shire Pharmaceuticals, who also produce Adderall and Adderall XR.

Attenace (modofinil) once-daily tablets. Currently modofinil has a brand name of Provigil and is marketed for daytime sedation related to narcolepsy, and excessive sleepiness associated with shift work or obstructive sleep apnea. FDA approval might occur before the end of the year.

Extended-release guanfacine (brand name Tenex by a different company) tablets (SPD503). Guanfacine is a high blood pressure medication that has been used in the treatment of AD/HD for severe hyperactivity, severe impulsivity, emotional outbursts, and oppositional behavior, often in combination with a stimulant. Tenex and Strattera might be somewhat similar. It will also be marketed by Shire Pharmaceuticals who hope to submit a New Drug Application by the end of this year.

An abuse-resistant amphetamine prodrug (NRP104) is also in development by Shire and River Pharmaceuticals, and a New Drug Application submission to the FDA is anticipated.

An extended-duration formulation of Adderall, which will extend the duration of action of Adderall XR several more hours, is in the final phase of research and development.

Many other medications with unique mechanisms of action are in much earlier stages of research, including drugs that are also being studied for Alzheimer's disease, for anxiety disorders, and for depression. St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum), an herbal product, is in early clinical trials at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Bupropion SR (Wellbutrin SR) is being studied for ADHD and alcohol problems in adolescents.