Strattera Approved for Maintenance Treatment of ADHD in Children and Adolescents

The FDA has approved Strattera for maintenance treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents. This is important as ADHD is often a chronic problem, with symptoms often persisting into adulthood that require long-term treatment.

An 18-month relapse prevention study of approximately 600 children and adolescents aged 6 to 15 years old was conducted. Of those who responded to initial, acute treatment with Strattera (approximately 69%), only 2.5% relapsed with continued treatment. The most common side effects in this study were headache and the common cold.

In summary, "Strattera is effective for up to a year in patients who respond well to initial treatment," according to the global medical director of Eli Lilly and Company.

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Vyvanse Approved for Adult ADHD

Vyvanse has been FDA approved for the treatment of ADHD in children aged 6 to 12 since July of 2007. Shire announced on April 23, 2008 that it had received approval from the FDA for the treatment of ADHD in adults. Shire also markets Adderall XR, which also has FDA approval for treatment of adult ADHD.

A four week study of 414 adults aged 18 to 55 years old with ADHD found significant improvement in ADHD symptoms after one week. Doses studied were 30 mg, 50 mg, and 70 mg. The Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale, used to rate severity of illness and improvement, found that 57 to 61 percent of subjects improved across all doses. The most common side effects were decreased appetite, difficulty falling asleep, and dry mouth, according to Shire.

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