The first once-daily liquid ADHD drug has now become available in the US.
Pftzer announced on Monday that its new drug Quillivant XR, also known as methylphenidate hydrochloride, will be available in pharmacies after the US Food and Drug Administration approved the drug in September 2012.
In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, multicentre, laboratory classroom study of 45 children with ADHD it was shown that Quillivant XR helps control systems of ADHD within 45 minutes and lasts up to 12 hours after dosing.
Quillivant XR is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant prescription medicine aimed at helping increase attention and decrease impulsiveness and hyperactivity in patients with ADHD.
Although other medicines are available Quillivant XR is the only drug available that is a liquid and therefore easier for parents to administer to their children.
Nearly one in ten children aged 4 to 17 in the US have at some time in their life received a diagnosis of ADHD, symptoms of which include hyperactivity, impulsivity and a persistent pattern of inattention which may interfere with learning and class-room behaviour. There is no known cure for ADHD.
President of the Center for Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine in Las Vegas and an investigator in the study, Ann Childress, said: "It is important to consider individual patient needs, including options for medication administration."
"As the first once-daily, extended-release liquid medication for patients with ADHD, Quillivant XR represents a new alternative," she added.
