Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyvanse - Shire), a prodrug in which d-amphetamine is covalently bonded to L-lysine, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children 6-12 years old. It was designed to have less potential than amphetamine itself for abuse, diversion or overdose toxicity. Like methylphenidate and amphetamines, lisdexamfetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.

Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyvanse), a prodrug of dextroamphetamine previously approved for treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, has now been approved for treatment of moderate-to-severe binge eating disorder (recurrent episodes of compulsive overeating without purging) in adults.FDA approval of lisdexamfetamine for this indication was based on two unpublished, 12-week trials, summarized in the package insert, that randomized patients with moderate-to-severe binge eating disorder to lisdexamfetamine 30 mg/day, which was titrated to 50 mg or, if needed, 70 mg, or to placebo....

Two new extended-release amphetamine products have been approved by the FDA for once-daily treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients ≥6 years old: Adzenys XR-ODT (Neos Therapeutics), an orally distintegrating tablet, and Dyanavel XR (Tris Pharma), an oral suspension.

The FDA has approved racemic amphetamine sulfate (Evekeo – Arbor) for oral treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children ≥3 years old. It was also approved for treatment of narcolepsy in patients ≥6 years old and for short-term treatment of obesity in patients ≥12 years old.

In the CLINICAL STUDIES - Other Cancers paragraph (Med Lett Drugs Ther 2007; 49:35), the dosage in the first line should be 2.5 mg/kg, not 25 mg/kg.

Gadolinium-based contrast agents, which are used mainly for magnetic resonance imaging and angiography, were first introduced partly because of the discovery in the 1990’s that iodine-based contrast agents could cause nephrotoxicity and acute renal failure. Some recent reports have suggested, however, that gadolinium-based agents may also be nephrotoxic.1 One patient who developed acute renal failure after use of gadolinium-based contrast had a renal biopsy that showed acute tubular injury.2Moreover, after exposure to gadolinium-based contrast, some patients with severe renal insufficiency,...

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that has been diagnosed in up to 10% of school-age children in the US and frequently persists into adulthood. A study in a large Danish cohort found that ADHD was associated with higher mortality rates in children, adolescents, and adults, mainly due to accidents. Pharmacologic treatment of ADHD in children has been reported to decrease the risk of substance abuse in adolescents, and use of ADHD medications in adults has been associated with a reduced risk of serious traffic accidents and...

The FDA has approved an extended-release oral suspension formulation of amphetamine (Adzenys ER – Neos) for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients ≥6 years old. The same extended-release amphetamine product is available as an orally disintegrating tablet and is marketed as Adzenys XR-ODT. Another extended-release oral suspension formulation of amphetamine, Dyanavel XR, was approved earlier.

The FDA has approved over-the-counter (OTC) sale of the weight-loss drug orlistat (Xenical – Roche)1 as alli (GlaxoSmithKline), to be used in combination with a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet. Orlistat binds to gastric and pancreatic lipases, preventing absorption of about 30% of dietary fat with the 120-mg prescription dose, and 25% with the 60-mg OTC dose. A 16-week controlled trial of the OTC dose (60 mg 3 times daily with meals) in overweight, not obese, patients (average BMI 26.8) on a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet found that patients taking the drug lost 1.15 kg more than those taking...

Recent publicity about symptoms of ovarian cancer will prompt many questions from patients about testing for the disease. Early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer is potentially curable, with survival rates of 90-95%, but about 75% of women have advanced or metastatic disease at diagnosis. Between physical examination and exploratory surgery, 2 tests are commonly used.1Transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) images the ovaries better than transabdominal ultrasound. In a study in which 25,327 asymptomatic women were screened with TVUS annually from 1987 to 2005, 364 patients had exploratory surgery, and 44...