Shire Tries To Sell Its ADHD Pill In Europe, But Will Anyone Pay Attention?

The pharmaceutical industry may have a hard time gaining attention in Europe for one of its best-selling categories in the US – the pills that are widely prescribed to combat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Why? Many Europeans are not convinced that ADHD really exists and do not want to use medication for what is widely viewed as childhood behavior problems, Bloomberg News writes. “There’s been a great deal of resistance to even believing there is a disease,” Mary Baker, who heads the European Brain Council, a non-profit that represents doctors, patients and drugmakers, tells the news service. “Parents are loath to get their child labeled. Children are (seen as either) easy or difficult. That’s the diagnosis in society.” Such views contrast starkly with the US, where ADHD purportedly afflicts up to 7 percent of all children and about two-thirds of the global supply of stimulation medication is consumed. Nonetheless, there is ongoing debate about over-diagnosis (read here) and long-term side effects, as well as abuse and misuse. There have also been links to increased likelihood of criminal convictions in adulthood. Such concerns fuel skepticism in Europe about the veracity of the disorder and medication. And Shire Pharmaceutical, which is the largest purveyor of ADHD medication, is finding this out the hard way. The drugmaker is rolling out its Vyvanse pill in several European countries, but getting physicians, teachers and parents to pay atte...
Source: Pharmalot - Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Source Type: blogs