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.
What's worse, ADHD medications do not always work, do not treat
the core cause of Attention Deficit Disorder and could have
long-term negative effects. Parents need to be clear about the
benefits, as well as the potential side effects of ADHD
medications. Still, more than enough doctors willingly diagnose
children as Attention Deficit and cut a prescription. More than
enough parents willingly place their children on psychotropic
drugs. More than enough teachers and school administrators
encourage parents to "do the right thing for their child" to
make their child more complaint in school. The more surprising
aspect of this wave of new ADHD medications is the aggressive
marketing of narcotics straight to the consumer. ADHD drug
makers stepped over a 30-year international treaty agreement not
to advertise controlled substances that have high potential for
abuse last year when they began marketing their magic pills.
These Schedule II controlled substances are of the most
addictive and abused drugs that are still legal. Full-page color
advertisement for ADHD medications began splashing across the
pages of women's magazines. Metadate CD, Adderall and Concerta
ads show smiling children and their proud mothers touting the
wonders of such ADHD medications. Metadate CD, introduced in
April, launched ads in nearly a dozen women's magazines this
year. The Drug Enforcement Agency sent a cease-and-desist letter
to the makers of Metadate CD after the ads appeared yet the
pharmaceutical company insisted that it did no wrong. The DEA
closely watches ADHD medication prescriptions and its
advertising. ADHD medications are most-stolen prescriptions and
the most-abused legal drugs. According to the DEA, the drug
thieves, drug dealers and drug abusers are almost always
children. Adderall and Concerta advertisements appeared in
September, just in time for the back-to-school children. These
companies did not name the product in the ad but listed a toll
free number for parents to call if they wanted more information.
Concerta manufacturers also began airing 60-second ads on cable
TV channels. For the first time ever, Schedule II drugs found
their way to mainstream television marketing. The public can
expect continued advertising as drug makers attempt to convince
the public that their medications are better than the rest. Thus
far, the makers of Ritalin have not marketed directly to
consumers.
About the author:
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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