To address the nationwide shortage of medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the Drug Enforcement Administration is allowing an increase in the production of Vyvanse and its generic forms.
Vyvanse is a central nervous stimulant approved to treat ADHD but is scheduled by the DEA, because it can be habit forming as people develop a tolerance to it, and the medication has a high potential for abuse.
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A DEA order Tuesday to allow a 24% increase in the drug and its generic versions comes in response to the ongoing shortage of Adderall, another medication approved to treat ADHD. The Food and Drug Administration requested in July that the DEA, which closely regulates stimulants, allow increased production of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, the generic form of Vyvanse.
The FDA first warned of an Adderall shortage in October 2022, citing production delays at Teva, one of the pharmaceutical companies that make the drug. With an insufficient supply of Adderall to meet demand, the availability of Vyvanse and other stimulants used to treat ADHD, such as Ritalin, began to diminish.
In June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the shortage may affect as many as 40,000 people. The CDC issued the advisory in part to alert clinicians and public health officials to the potential for injuries or overdoses resulting from people seeking substitute stimulants through the illegal market.
In addition to manufacturing delays and DEA quotas on how much stimulant medication pharmaceutical companies can produce, ADHD diagnoses have risen in recent decades, and particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase is due in part to the significant broadening of the definition of ADHD in the 2013 version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, according to a study published in 2022. Increased awareness about the disorder also has contributed to the rise in diagnosis.
ADHD is a neuro-developmental disorder affecting an estimated 7 million, or 11%, of U.S. children ages 3 to 17, according to the CDC. ADHD causes persistent problems with attention span, hyperactivity and impulse control and can continue into adulthood. Approximately 2.5% of U.S. adults have ADHD, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
Behavior therapy and medications, including stimulants and non-stimulants, are used to treat ADHD. Between 70% and 80% of children show decreased symptoms of ADHD when taking stimulants, according to the CDC.
Stimulants work by increasing the amounts of two chemicals in the brain, dopamine and norepinephrine, which can help with focus. Potential for the abuse of ADHD medications occurs because stimulants can cause euphoric effects and increased attentiveness, as well as appetite suppression.
Adderall is also approved to treat narcolepsy and Vyvanse for the treatment of binge-eating disorder.
