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news.Shares in both Shire Pharmaceuticals and Novartis have slipped slightly following reports that a small study showed an increased cancer risk with methylphenidate, the active ingredient in Novartis' Ritalin and Shire and Novogen's developmental Methypatch.
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According to reports, a three-month 12-patient study conducted in Texas, which is to be published in the international medical journal Cancer Letters, revealed that children taking the ADHD drug methylphenidate showed an increase in chromosome abnormalities, which can lead to an increased cancer risk.
Although the news is raising alarm, it has been pointed out that larger studies would be needed before action is taken on central nervous system stimulants such as Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride), which has a proven safety record with usage spanning more than 50 years to date.
Shire’s shares have fallen over 1.1% following the news, while Novartis shares dipped by almost 1.3%.
Other methylphenidate-containing products include Johnson & Johnson’s long-acting formulation, Concerta, and Celltech Pharma’s extended release product, Metadate.