Independent studies show that an ADHD drug developed by
P2D Bioscience treats core symptoms of the disorder with fewer side effects than current, comparable drugs.
Two pre-clinical studies suggest the company's PD2005 is as effective as amphetamine and methylphenidate in treating ADHD. The studies show PD2005 improve both sustained attention and working memory, but has lower side effects, including risk of addiction. The studies were funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, according to the company.
"The primary criticism of current first-line ADHD treatments is their side effects," P2D CEO Dr. Frank Zemlan. "The treatments are Schedule II drugs of abuse prescribed mainly to children. In contrast, a unique feature of P2D's lead ADHD compounds is that they demonstrate no abuse potential in the 'Gold Standard' of preclinical abuse liability testing."
The treatment of ADHD is a $3.5 million market; Dr. Zemlan believes a drug with less side effects will appeal to parents reluctant to treat their children's symptoms.
Dr. Zemlan predicted, "A new ADHD drug without the side effect burden of current first line ADHD drugs will dominate the ADHD market," he said.
P2D Bioscience is a privately held P2D pharmaceutical company that specializes in developing drugs that treat a range of disorders including ADHD, obesity, anxiety, depression and Alzheimer's disease and more. The company is based in Corryville and is managed by a team with decades of experience in drug discovery, clinical research and technology transfer.
Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: P2D Bioscience
You can follow Feoshia on Twitter
@feoshiawrites
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.