Shire receives UK approval for ADHD therapy Elvanse

Shire has been granted UK regulatory approval for Elvanse, its daily long-acting prodrug stimulant for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorised the therapy as a means of treating ADHD in children aged 6 years and over, in cases where response to previous methylphenidate treatment has been considered clinically inadequate.

It is the first drug of its kind to be launched in Europe for the treatment of ADHD and has demonstrated its safety and efficacy in various international phase III clinical trials.

The product has been available in the US since 2007 under the name Vyvanse, while it is also distributed in Brazil as Venvanse.

Dr David Williams, medical director at Shire UK, said: "Shire is committed to improving the understanding and treatment of ADHD and to ensuring that patients diagnosed with ADHD continue to benefit from these advances."

Earlier this month, the company commenced a clinical study of ABH001, a dermal substitute therapy for the treatment of non-healing wounds in patients with epidermolysis bullosa.