Children with ADHD May Benefit from Dextroamphetamine Transdermal Treatment

Treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with amphetamines typically use an oral extended-release formulation, but new data show a dextroamphetamine transdermal system (d-ATS) may be beneficial in the treatment of ADHD.

In a poster presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, a team of investigators, led by Dr. Andrew J Cutler, of the SUNY Upstate Medical University, found a d-ATS patch offers advantages over oral treatment for the treatment of ADHD in children.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Cutler spoke of the efficacy of the d-ATS treatment conducted in the randomized, liberatory classroom study of children aged 6 – 17 years old with ADHD.

“The advantages over oral formulations include easier treatment in especially children who have trouble swallowing pills, fewer gastrointestinal side effects, flexibility in treatment duration,” Cutler said. “Of course, there is also visual confirmation, as opposed to not knowing if they took the pill or not."

Cutler also spoke of the safety in the trial. In the dose-optimization period, children started at 5mg of D-ATS, wearing the patch for 9 hours of treatment and each week, the dose could be increased. Adverse effects, including meaningful skin irritation, occurred in 2% of patients.

Cutler concluded that the d-ATS treatment was well-tolerated in children and is an important innovation in ADHD amphetamine treatment.

While a methylphenidate transdermal formula is available, the d-ATS treatment is currently waiting approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).