Shire ADHD drug gets OK for adults

Shire P.L.C., the British drugmaker with headquarters in the Philadelphia region, announced today that it has received FDA approval to market its ADHD drug for adults.

Shire said in a release that Vyvanse, which was introduced last July to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children age 6 to 12, will now be available for adults with ADHD.

Shire, Britain's third largest drugmaker, has U.S. headquarters in Wayne. The company said that more than one million prescriptions for Vyvanse had been written in the first eight months that it was available in the United States.

"Many people may think of ADHD as only a childhood disorder, but the fact is that the majority of children diagnosed with ADHD still have symptoms as an adult," David W. Goodman, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of the Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Center of Maryland, was quoted as saying in the news release.

"These symptoms can significantly impact them at work, home and in relationships, where they have important responsibilities," Goodman said.

Approximately 7.8 percent of all school-age children, or about 4.4 million U.S. children age 4 to 17 years, have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as quoted by Shire.

Company shares were at $57.98 early this afternoon in Nasdaq trading, up from $54.90 at yesterday's close.