Those who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are usually prescribed stimulants, or amphetamines, to help them focus. But this focus comes at a price. The drugs can be extremely addictive, could alter the personalities of ADHD sufferers and could lead to abuse of other drugs. So, the hunt is on for a method of delivering these drugs that minimizes the chance of addiction. Delivering it in concentrated, thin-film doses is one method being tried.
MonoSol Rx, a company that specializes in developing fast-dissolving thin-film versions of existing drugs, is partnering again with KemPharm to develop a second oral film product to treat ADHD, the Warren, NJ-based company announced in a release. The two companies have already partnered on development of KP106, a prodrug of d-amphetamine. They will now develop KP415, prodrug of methylphenidate, a commonly used medication for the treatment of ADHD.
If approved, the two drugs would be the first available in oral thin film for the treatment of ADHD. "The addition of KP415 to our partnership with KemPharm provides us with a portfolio of highly differentiated products for treating ADHD," A. Mark Schobel, MonoSol's co-president and CEO said in a statement. "We believe delivery of KP415 and KP106, using our patented PharmFilm technology, significantly improves the convenience with which these novel molecules, which represent two major classes of drugs used to treat ADHD, can be dosed."
- read the release from MonoSol Rx