Vyvanse, introduced in July 2007 for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children aged 6 to 12 years, is now said to be the first and only once-daily prodrug stimulant approved to treat adults with ADHD.
Vyvanse is currently available in three dosage strengths of 30mg, 50mg and 70mg, each for once-daily dosing. Additional dosage strengths of 20mg, 40mg and 60mg Vyvanse have also been FDA-approved and are expected to be available in pharmacies this summer.
Vyvanse is a therapeutically inactive prodrug, in which d-amphetamine is covalently bonded to l-lysine, and after oral ingestion it is converted to pharmacologically active d-amphetamine.
Matthew Emmens, CEO of Shire, said: “This approval provides physicians a new treatment option that can help their adult patients by significantly improving their ADHD symptoms.”