What is INTUNIV for ADHD?

The active ingredient in INTUNIV is Guanfacine, normally thought of as the blood pressure medicine Tenex. INTUNIV is not a blood pressure medication, however. It is approved for the treatment of ADHD.

INTUNIV is not a stimulant, and its action on the brain is different than stimulants. INTUNIV is another ADHD medication from Shire Pharmaceuticals, where they seem to insist that all of their medications are spelled in all capital letters. Shire also makes and distributes ADDERALL XL, DAYTRANA, and VYVANSE. And since the sales of Adderall XR have been undercut by Teva's generic Adderall, and the sales of Vyvanse have been disappointing, Shire is hopeful that Intuniv will bolster its place in the ADHD marketplace. Read more of the article...

ADHD is a neurological disorder that impacts between 5% and 9% of children, teens, and even adults. Over the years, as more pharmaceutical companies enter the market, and more medications are developed, there has been a signficiant increase int he use of ADHD medications - and a recent study suggests an increase in the misuse of such medications. Read more of the article...

Intuniv TM and Vivanse

Shire Pharmaceuticals has invested heavily in developing medications for the treatment of ADHD in both children and adults. While Vivanse has become an option for many prescribing physicians and parents, they also have new medications “in the pipeline” to bring to the ADHD market. Read more of the article...

A recent study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry got everyone’s attention when it suggested that there may be an “association” between the use of stimulant medications, such as Ritalin, and “sudden cardiac deaths” in children that were considered to be “healthy” prior to their deaths.

But the details of the study, along with the “limitations” of the study, prompted the FDA to comment on the research and its conclusions, recommending that parents should not stop giving stimulant medication to their child just based on the conclusions of the study. Rather they recommend that parents have a discussion with the doctor who is prescribing and monitoring the medication. Read more of the article...

Clonicel. Sciele Pharma, a Shionogi Company based in Atlanta, GA, and Addrenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., of Durham, SC, are working together to bring a long-acting version of Clonidine to the ADHD treatment regime. They have collaborated on the development of Clonicel, which is in Phase III clinical trials and has shown positive benefits in treating certain symptoms of ADHD, especially when combined with stimulant medications such as Ritalin. Read more of the article...

OK, I have to admit that I didn't see this coming.

Whenever I have heard people comparing Ritalin to Cocaine I have just turned them off as either over-reacting, or uninformed. Yes, both are psychostimulants. Yes, both impact the brain's performance. But other than that, why not compare caffeine to cocaine, as both are stimulants and impact the brain.

I had worked in a psychiatric hospital for a few years, and had seen people who had come because of their cocaine addiction, and they didn't look anything like the kids I saw with ADHD who were benefiting from the use of Ritalin or other stimulants (and I had worked with nearly 1,000 kids who had benefited from treatment with stimulants). Read more of the article...