Shire/Noven ADHD patch works best with behavior therapy, study shows

In fact, when the two are combined, the study showed, the amount of medication required to achieve the same results as use of medication alone can be reduced by two-thirds.

The study is the first to test the effectiveness of a new drug treatment, a methylphenidate (MPH) patch developed by Noven Pharmaceuticals and Shire Pharmaceuticals. Methylphenidate is the stimulant used in pill form in Johnson & Johnson’s Concerta and Novartis’ Ritalin.

Twenty-seven children with ADHD, ages six to 12, participated in the study, conducted at the University at Buffalo’s Summer Treatment Program. Researchers assessed the effects of behavior modification, the MPH patch and a placebo on the children in classroom and organized play settings, and through use of parental behavior ratings.

The researchers found that when used alone, the MPH patch and behavior modification therapy were equally effective treatments. The MPH patch was effective in all doses tested, but combined treatment – using a very low dose of the MPH patch with behavior modification – was superior to either treatment alone.

Significantly, the study also found that with combined treatment children required much lower doses of medication – as much as 67% lower – to achieve the same effects as high doses of medication used alone.

Lower dosages of medication lower the risk of long-term drug side effects, which studies have shown to include loss of appetite and stunting of growth.

According to William Pelham, University at Buffalo distinguished professor in the department of psychology, the MPH patch’s dosage flexibility potentially makes it ideal for administering lower dosages of methylphenidate in combination with behavior modification. The MPH patch can be applied to a child for short periods during the course of the day.

Shire Pharmaceuticals Group, which purchased the rights to the MPH patch from Noven, will seek FDA approval for the MPH patch in 2006.