Concerta shows promise as ADHD drug

According to a recent study, long-acting formulations of Belgian firm Jansenn-Cilag's Concerta XL (methylphenidate hydrochloride) are more effective than the standard therapy in achieving symptom remission in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The data, which were published in the Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, also suggests that patients given the drug experienced a marked reduction in ADHD severity.

The study, which was run as an eight-week, multicenter open-label, randomized assessment of the drug's efficacy in comparison with the standard immediate-release methylphenidate hydrochloride therapy, enrolled 147 patients aged six to 12. Data analysis revealed that 44% of patients taking Concerta achieved complete remission versus 16% of those in the IR-MPH arm. Moreover, at the end of the trial, 83 % of patients in the Concerta group were rated as "very much improved" by clinicians, compared with the 62% who achieved the same rating in the IR-MPH cohort.

Principal study investigator Margaret Steele, an associate professor of psychiatry, pediatric and family medicine at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, said: "the trial suggests that symptom-free remission is possible under usual clinical practice conditions," adding that remission should be regarded as the goal of treatment.