Newer agents and formulations for the treatment of ADHD

The pharmacologic treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) generally involves the use of stimulant medications. Stimulants have been used for decades and have a long history of being safe and effective treatments. One significant limitation until recently has been the short time-action profile of this class of medications, requiring multiple doses to treat the child with ADHD throughout an entire day. Recent advances in drug-delivery systems have offered more options, leading to once-daily dosing for many patients taking stimulant therapy. For those patients who cannot tolerate or have limited response to stimulants, or simply prefer nonstimulant therapy, until recently few options have been available, however, a nonstimulant therapy is now available. This article will discuss newer formulations available for stimulant therapy, and findings from ongoing research of newly approved therapies and therapies currently in development.