Adderall supply shortage spreads to Takeda’s ADHD medication

The United States has been grappling with an ongoing Adderall supply shortage, a widely prescribed medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and its generic versions for several months. Complicating matters further, Takeda’s Vyvanse, another medication used to treat ADHD, is now facing its own supply shortages. Takeda acknowledged the issue on the Vyvanse patient website, attributing the low inventory to a combination of manufacturing delays and increased demand.

The scarcity of Vyvanse has had a direct impact on pharmaceutical distribution wholesalers, which supply major retail pharmacies like Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS. Takeda specifically identified the 40-mg, 60-mg, and 70-mg dosage strengths of Vyvanse as the affected variants. While the supply of the 40-mg dose is expected to experience a temporary dip in mid-June, with replenishment anticipated within a few weeks, shortages for the higher doses are projected to begin in late June or early July and persist until September.

Takeda expressed regret for the inconvenience caused by the supply shortages and acknowledged the potential disruption in patients’ treatment. It’s important to note that the Vyvanse shortage occurs amidst an ongoing shortage of Adderall and its generics, which began in August due to the struggle of Teva, the primary supplier in the U.S., to meet the growing demand. Consequently, shortages have been reported by at least eight companies in the market.

The increasing prevalence of ADHD in recent years has raised questions about whether heightened awareness is driving the diagnosis trends. While the exact causes of the shortages remain unclear, drug manufacturers consistently point to the surge in demand as a significant factor contributing to the ongoing supply challenges faced throughout the past year.

In a separate development, the supply constraints of Vyvanse have further limited options for ADHD patients in the U.S., who have already been contending with a nearly year-long shortage of ADHD medications. Takeda confirmed that the low inventory of Vyvanse primarily stems from manufacturing issues, which have been exacerbated by the increased demand resulting from shortages of other ADHD medications in the market.

Takeda did not disclose specific details regarding the cause of the manufacturing issues leading to Vyvanse shortages. However, the company expects these supply problems to persist until September for certain dosage strengths of the medication. The shortage of ADHD drugs is part of a larger issue of drug shortages, affecting various treatments including cancer therapies and antibiotics, which have reached a five-year high. Authorities are actively working to address this problem through legislative and administrative measures.

The shortage of Adderall sparked an increased demand for alternative medications, subsequently leading to shortages of other ADHD drugs as well.

 

Impact of the Adderall supply shortage:

In May alone, U.S. pharmacies dispensed 1.35 million Vyvanse prescriptions, compared to 1.04 million during the same period the previous year. To address the Adderall shortage, some healthcare professionals, including David W. Goodman from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, have resorted to switching patients from Adderall to Vyvanse. However, if the supply issues with Vyvanse persist, it will present a new challenge for medical practitioners and their patients in finding suitable alternatives.