The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has increased the production limit for Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ ADHD drug Vyvanse and its generic versions by about 24% in efforts to tackle the medicines’ ongoing shortage in the country.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs have been in short supply for years, with the FDA waning of a shortage of Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ Adderall in October 2022, troubled by manufacturing delays.
That led to a spike in demand and subsequent shortage of Takeda’s Vyvanse, reports Reuters.
Vyvanse, also known as lisdexamfetamine, is classified as a schedule II controlled substance. The production limit for the medication was increased by 6 236kg, which includes 1 558kg to address increased domestic demand and 4 678kg for increased foreign demand for finished dosage medications, said the DEA.
The FDA gave the green light to approved generic versions of Vyvanse from 11 drugmakers, including American based Mallinckrodt and Viatris, UK-based Hikma Pharmaceuticals, and India’s Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, after Takeda lost exclusivity over the drug.
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