Adderall Lawsuit & News Blog

Does Adderall Help a Foggy Memory?

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 07:26:55 -0400

A San Francisco journalist explores the options and treatments for forgetfulness to brain drain. Brain scans show signs of only advanced stages of disease and could not detect subtle memory deficits - problems that can be caused by a whole host of conditions that are common in midlife. And though her brain scan was normal, she scored poorly on some memory and attention tests.

A stimulant such as Adderall, usually prescribed for attention deficit disorder, was recommended. So she got a prescription and it did help - at least for a while. But Adderall made her tense, so she switched to Provigil, another medication that is thought to boost alertness. That drug also helped, but she was still having difficulties.

She tried a long list of interventions aimed at giving her a sharper mind. She went to a longevity guru and now takes a handful of vitamins every day. She tried meditation and games to boost her concentration, and after learning that physical activity might build a better brain, so she started to work out twice a week.

Stimulant Adderall Taken by Sports Players to Treat ADD

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 07:25:05 -0400

Barry Bonds said he knew that his teammates had permission to take banned drugs for medical reasons, and he wanted that permission, too. Though Bonds never applied for the therapeutic-use exemption, it's a loophole in any league's anti-doping system.

Drugs for ADD and ADHD can put a person with the disorder on an even keel, but Ritalin and Adderall are stimulants that can boost the performance of a player who doesn't need them for medical purposes.

When baseball bowed to congressional pressure last year and started testing for amphetamines, some players saw therapeutic-use exemptions as a way to beat the system.

Arizona Central: Sports

ADD and ADHD Natural Cures

Tue, 9 Jan 2007 16:23:45 -0400

ADHD drugs like Adderall, Concerta, and Strattera can have side effects such as increased heart rate, mood swings, nausea, upset stomach, headaches, etc. Parents who
witness these side effects feel helpless and without options, but two natural options are offered on the market.

A natural cure called Attend made by Vaxa claims that children who take Attend achieve 70 percent higher scores on the TOVA test, a benchmark for attentiveness, and the product comes with a one year money back guarantee. BeCalmed by NeuroGenesis claims increased focus and helps reduce stress.
Perhaps these natural cures are safer and just as effective; at least there are choices. (Source)

Second Approval Letter for New ADHD Drug

Sun, 7 Jan 2007 16:24:30 -0400

New River Pharmaceuticals and Shire plc say they received a second approvable letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for VYVANSE, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD.

An approvable letter informs the PMA (Premarket Approval Applications) applicant that FDA has completed the scientific review and determined that the PMA can be approved pending resolution of minor deficiencies identified in the letter or during FDA's inspection of the device's manufacturing facilities.

New River and Shire now said that FDA hasn't requested any additional studies as a condition for approval of VYVANSE. The data requested are routine. VYVANSE is expected to be launched in the second quarter of 2007. The companies noted that the proposal of FDA that VYVANSE, which was earlier known as NRP104, be classified as a Schedule II controlled substance has been submitted to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA.

Upon the FDA approval and receipt of final scheduling designation by DEA, VYVANSE would be available in three dosage strengths, such as 30 mg, 50 mg and 70 mg, all indicated for once-daily dosing.

VYVANSE is considered to be a successor to Shire's Adderall XR, which loses patent protection in 2009. Meanwhile Shire believes the drug have the capacity to generate sales of over $1 billion a year.

On August 14, 2006 Shire announced that it had settled all pending litigation with Barr Laboratories, Inc. regarding Barr's Abbreviated New Drug Application and its attempt to market generic versions of Shire's ADDERALL XR for the treatment of ADHD. Barr will not be permitted to market a generic version of ADDERALL XR in the United States until April 1, 2009, except under certain limited circumstances, such as the launch of another party's generic version of ADDERALL XR.

The problem with schools, Adderall, and ADHD

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 08:20:05 -0400

One would think that today's public schools would be on the frontlines in the battle to keep children off drugs. This is simply not the case. In fact, schools are largely responsible for a whole generation of very young children being placed on psychotropic substances, including Adderall and Ritalin. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has classified Ritalin and Adderall as Schedule Two drugs comparable to cocaine.

Fifteen percent of children use Adderall and Ritalin. Over 20 million prescriptions for these stimulants where written in one year to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a mental disorder voted into acceptance in 1987 by the American Psychiatric Association.

In the following year, half a million children in the United States were diagnosed with ADHD Yet, at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference on ADHD, the NIH said, "We do not have an independent, valid test for ADHD, and there is no data to indicate that ADHD is due to a brain malfunction".

There are 18 behaviors that some designate as ADHD symptoms yet have no scientific validity. The very same ADHD behaviors are almost identical to the behaviors of a gifted child.

Unfortunately the first diagnosis appears in the schools. Teachers and administrators don't have the knowledge or education to make that determination. It is far easier to drug a child into submission than to address the real cause of the behavioral problems. (Real Truth About Adderal Problems)

Shire to sue generic competition over Adderall XR

Fri, 8 Dec 2006 08:21:43 -0400

The last thing a pharmaceutical company wants is another pharmaceutical company to make a cheaper, generic drug. Where would all the profit go? Shire PLC is suing generic drug maker Andrx Pharmaceuticals, which is trying to launch a copycat version of the top-selling hyperactivity pill Adderall XR, for patent infringement.

Andrx is the fifth generic drug maker that tried to launch cheaper versions of the Adderall XR. Health insurance is expensive for a reason and here's the reason…no cheaper generic drugs allowed. (Adderall Lawsuit Challenges)

ADHD and Motherhood

Wed, 6 Dec 2006 08:23:45 -0400

Often moms have the same symptoms as their kids. ADHD symptoms in women include messy habits; sloppy handwriting; early experimentation with sex, drugs, and alcohol; quick temper and impulsiveness; and really bad PMS and perimenopausal symptoms.

Professionals who can diagnose ADHD include psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, and family physicians. It's important to rule out conditions such as significant depression, drug abuse, early Alzheimer's, sleep disorders, and schizophrenia. Adults may benefit from drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera, and Concerta with the lowest dose possible as well as counseling or personal coaching. (Myrtle Beach and Adderall Side Effects Information)

Poor Reading Skills Raise Teen Suicide Risk

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:31:51 -0400

Teens who can't read well may also be at high risk for suicide, a new study warns. They're also more likely than other kids their age to drop out of school. Poor readers were three times more likely than typical readers to consider or attempt suicide and six times more likely to drop out of school. Follow-up interviews indicated that the poor readers were more likely to experience suicidal thoughts or attempts and were more likely to drop out of school. The study also concluded that suicidal thoughts or suicidal attempts and dropping out of school were strongly associated with each other. (ADHD ISSUES)

Adderall: FDA Issues Stronger Warnings for ADHD Stimulants

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:29:06 -0400

Adderall: FDA Issues Stronger Warnings for ADHD Stimulants

The FDA now requires the manufacturers of amphentamine-containing ADHD drugs (Adderall) to include a black box warning, which is found in the package insert, informing patients about the possibility of sudden death and serious cardiovascular problems associated with these drugs.

A black box warning is the strongest type of warning that the FDA can request on a drug's professional product label. However, the statement "misuse of amphetamines may cause sudden death and serious cardiovascular adverse events" is extremely misleading because it doesn't tell patients that the drugs can also cause sudden death in those using the medication properly.

Sudden death has been reported in association with the use of stimulant ADHD drugs in the recommended doses in children, adolescents, and adults with structural heart abnormalities or other serious heart problems, such as a heart murmur or abnormal heart rhythm - not just in those who misuse stimulants.

The FDA should immediately take steps to change this statement to say that sudden death and serious complications can occur in a wide variety of people who are not misusing the drugs.

In addition to the new black box warning, the un-boxed warnings section of the labels for amphetamine-containing drugs now require that children, adolescents or adults who are being considered for treatment with stimulant drugs for ADHD have a careful medical history assessment, including assessment for a family history of sudden death or heart rhythm disturbance. Patients should undergo a physical examination to assess for the presence of heart disease. Further evaluation could be necessary if the findings of an electrocardiogram and echocardiogram do suggest heart disease. (subscription required)

Adderall: The Drug Choice for the Life of the Party

Wed, 1 Nov 2006 07:09:55 -0400

College students, age 18-24, have always captured the market on stimulants as a way to study through the night but their choices have broadened from caffeine to energy drinks to Adderall.

A study was conducted at the University of Michigan that followed undergraduate college students and illicit use of ADD and ADHD medications. The study found that 8 percent of the 689 students sampled used prescription stimulants that were not prescribed to them. The most common uses were cited for concentration, to get high, and to increase alertness. (Read More)