EU approval for Shire's ADHD drug Intuniv

21 September 2015

Ireland-based drugmaker Shire (LSE: SHP) saw its shares rise 3.1% to £48.92 in early trading, after the company revealed that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for its once-daily, non-stimulant Intuniv (guanfacine hydrochloride prolonged release tablets) for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents 6 to 17 years old for whom stimulants are not suitable, not tolerated or have been shown to be ineffective.

The company noted that Intuniv is the first selective alpha-2A adrenergic receptor agonist licensed for the treatment of ADHD in the European Union. Turnover of Intuniv in the second quarter of 2015 plummeted 91% to just $9.5 million because of generic competition in the USA, while sales for ADHD drug Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) grew to $424.8 million, up 18% year on year (The Pharma Letter July 23).

Significant advance for patients in Europe

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK