The New ADHD Medications by Jeannine Virtue

Pharmaceutical companies vying for Ritalin’s hefty market share are coming up with new formulas and aggressive campaign ads to compete in this $1 billion per year ADHD drug industry.

Pharmaceutical companies introduced five new drugs to treat ADHD in the past five years, with another ADHD drug expected on the market in early 2003 and more are being developed.

The relative newcomers Adderall and the drug Concerta are now joined by Metadate CD, Ritalin LA and Focalin. Another formula, Atomoxetine, should hit the market in just a few months.

The new ADHD drugs give people choosing drug therapy wider options. Yet, parents, doctors, the FDA and the DEA alike worry that the unprecedented marketing tactics will further drive up demand for ADHD medications, as well as increase drug abuse for these high powered drugs.

Ritalin enjoyed the ADHD corner market for decades. Adderall, with its longer acting formula, jumped in for its share in 1996 and quickly began chiseling at Ritalin’s market share. The drug Concerta, a reformulation of Ritalin, followed in 2000. Then, Metadate CD and Focalin appeared. Not willing to lose its share in the market, Ritalin makers began developing new formulas, the first - Ritalin LA - reaching FDA approval in June. In late November the FDA approved Eli Lilly and Company’s new ADHD formulation, Strattera (atomoxetine).

New ADHD formulas hitting the market is not all that surprising. After all, the market is wide open and growing. New prescriptions for Attention Deficit Disorder increased almost 40 percent over the past five years. Last year doctors wrote 20 million prescriptions for ADHD medications. More American children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit than in any other country in the world.

Concerta, Adderall, Metadate CD, Ritalin LA, Focalin all high potential for side effects, drug dependency and abuse and are closely related to illegal street drugs. Strattera is different in that this is the first non-stimulant medication.

It is ironic though that every day millions of children line up to the counter for their dose of meds while the person caught in possession of these drugs without a prescription face felony charges. These drugs cannot be good for young minds and young bodies.

Of the less severe side effects, children might lose weight, have problems falling asleep, have decreased appetite, and temporarily grow more slowly while taking ADHD medications.

Other side effects can include cardiac arrhythmia, depression, psychosis, facial tics, liver damage, abuse and addiction. Some doctors also believe that some ADHD medications may also worsen the symptoms of Tourette's syndrome.

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BIO:

Jeannine Virtue is a freelance journalist and mother of an Attention Deficit Disorder son. Visit Virtue's web site at www.add-adhd-help-center.com to learn about effective drug-free alternatives to ADHD medications.

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