Strattera helps patients with reading disorders

US drug major Eli Lilly says new data suggests that its drug Strattera (atomoxetine HCl) improved the symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents who had both ADHD and a reading disorder, like dyslexia.

ADHD patients in this open-label, parallel-design US pilot study were compared to patients with ADHD+RD. After taking Strattera for 16 weeks, both groups of patients aged 10 to 16 reported an improvement of nearly 50% in ADHD symptoms like inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Additionally, patients who also had a reading disorder displayed an average reading composite improvement of approximately two years compared to 17 months for participants with ADHD alone. Reading composite is defined as the combined score for reading decoding and reading comprehension.

Richard Rubin, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the USA's University of Vermont College of Medicine, said that "since ADHD is often combined with reading disabilities, considering treatment options that are effective in treating ADHD without having an adverse effect on reading performance may provide the best outcome."