We still aren’t paying enough attention to medication adherence in ADHD.
AARDEX Group
AI-powered SaaS Platform Revolutionizing Clinical Trials Through Better Drug Exposure
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is?a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a person's behaviour and ability to function in daily life. People with ADHD may have difficulty paying attention, controlling their behaviour and emotions. They may also be hyperactive and impulsive.
ADHD is highly prevalent in children and adolescents, with boys twice more likely to experience the disorder than girls[1]. Indeed, it is estimated that ADHD affects 5% children worldwide[2] and with such high prevalence, the global ADHD therapeutics market is estimated at a value of?US$ 25.05 billion in 2024. Revenue from ADHD therapeutics is predicted to rise at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 6.2% from 2024 to 2034 with the market forecasted to reach a valuation of US$ 45.51 billion by the end of 2034[3]
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This growth is driven in part by studies that demonstrate that ADHD medication is effective for about 80% of children with the condition[4], however as we at AARDEX continue to reiterate, “Drugs don't work in patients who don't take them.”
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And to that point, we know that general adherence is poor – ‘there is a persistent gap between evidence-based guidelines and their application in clinical practice, leading to uncertainty about the effective use of ADHD medication’[5]. Understandable really – ADHD is a highly complex condition, compounded by the fact that children are the main target for treatment. That means we are asking people with a poor attention span, and as children no real concept of the importance of adherence, to adhere to a drug regimen.?
And the level of adherence can, and is, defined to a large degree by the attitude and actions of parents.
The result of prolonged poor adherence can be catastrophic for those involved and society at large. Many studies have documented an increased risk in children with ADHD leaving school early, increased contact with the law, early onset substance use, and associated conduct, mood and anxiety disorders[6] More recently studies have also documented a higher risk for dangerous driving, suicidal behaviour, problem gambling, eating disorders and early parenthood.[7]
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And yet, despite all the evidence to demonstrate the importance of ensuring effective adherence in ADHD patients, the problem remains a stark one: ‘While the concept of treatment adherence has evolved in the past 20?years, it remains poorly operationalized and measured, leading to a variety of interpretations by patients and providers.’[8]
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This point is further illustrated by the failure of Lundbeck and Takeda to better the placebo in a Phase II trial. The trial?was anticipated to open a new indication for the antidepressant, Brintellix, now known as Trintellix, treating adults with ADHD.
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The reason for the failure? Lundbeck reported that “More than 30% of patients had extremely low or no exposure to Brintellix” “…simply because they did not take the medicine, it is an adherence problem.”[9]
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Once more we find ourselves asking the same questions – in the light of such very public and very expensive failures (remembering that the overall price of bringing a new drug to market is be somewhere between $161 million and $2 billion), why is it that employing efficient and cost-effective medication adherence continues to be seen as a ‘nice to have’ rather than an imperative? There was every indication that Brintellix could still be effective in ADHD, it was just the lack of adherence that failed it.
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Given the importance of drugs such as these for the future health and wellbeing of our children, we are left thinking this is a schoolboy error of some magnitude…
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Establishing hard evidence for your trial…???
AARDEX has a best practice methodology, independent of any device package or software platform. Utilising our expertise and experience in medication adherence and patient compliance we acquire, monitor, analyse, guide and interpret data to deliver absolute clarity and bring confidence to sponsors, trialists, and ultimately, patients.????
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AARDEX is the only mature, robust and proven adherence solution on the market today, one that maximises the reward, mitigates the risk and delivers resolution for your clinical trial. All delivered with the clarity, integrity and certainty you need to proceed with complete confidence in the exposure-response.????
IMC helps bring drugs to market sooner. Med-ic? is the only Smart blister ever submitted with a FDA priority review resulting in a blockbuster drug approval (Orlissa). med-ic.com
2 个月Not all ADHD medication is taken regularly. ADHD medication is often taken on a pro re nata (PRN) basis. This means that taking medication isn't scheduled, instead, it's taken whenever needed. This means that patients can take the medication whenever they feel as though they need to – for example, when at work