Eli Lily testing new Ritalin drug on British children

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> Hyperactive children test Ritalin substitute

> By Lorraine Fraser, Medical Correspondent

> (Filed: 19/01/2003)

>

> Hundreds of British children are being recruited to take part in

> studies of a new drug designed to curb disruptive behaviour.

>

> It is hoped the medication, created to tackle Attention Deficit

> Hyperactivity Disorder, will replace Ritalin, the controversial drug

> dubbed the chemical cosh.

>

> Unlike Ritalin, the new drug - which has the chemical name atomoxetine

> - is apparently not addictive and has no side effects.

>

> It has been developed by the American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly

> and was approved last month for use in the US by the Food and Drug

> Administration.

>

> The company now hopes that tests involving British children will allow

> it to gain a licence to launch the drug here, possibly as early as

> next year. Many parents have welcomed the prospect.

>

> Andrea Bilbow, the founder of the Attention Deficit Disorder

> Information Service, said: " It is not a controlled drug like Ritalin

> and it doesn't have the same stigma attached to it. Ritalin can be

> difficult to manage and it has side effects, affecting appetite and

> sleep. Anything new will be welcome. "

>

> The development of yet another drug to combat child hyperactivity

> will, however, reopen the controversy over whether youngsters with

> problems such as poor concentration and impulsive behaviour should be

> given medication at all.

>

> Janice Hill, who runs the pressure group Overload International which

> provides support and information to parents who have children with

> learning difficulties, said: " We are very concerned that a drug like

> this will make doctors more likely to prescribe medication for

> learning disorders rather than ensuring the children get alternatives

> such as more help in the classroom. "

>

> Around 70,000 children in Britain, mostly boys, suffer from Attention

> Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. They are impulsive, tend to throw

> tantrums, have problems concentrating and cannot stay still. The cause

> is unknown, although scientists in the USA believe it may be connected

> to a gene which is linked to alertness.

>

> The issue of whether drugs should be prescribed for the condition has

> been hotly debated over the past few years. Concerns have been fuelled

> by fears that children given drugs such as Ritalin, which contains the

> controlled stimulant methylphenidate, may become addicted to their

> medication. Critics have called Ritalin an " overt instrument of

> control " .

>

> The National Institute for Clinical Excellence concluded two years ago

> however that attention deficit disorders could seriously damage

> children and recommended that Ritalin be prescribed on the NHS for

> those most seriously affected .

>

> Tests of atomoxetine recently began on 45 children at hospitals in

> Sheffield and Glasgow and there are plans to enrol hundreds more.

>

> Dr Val Harpin, a paediatrician at Sheffield Children's Hospital, said:

> " Ritalin has benefited many children, but a significant number have

> run into problems with it. These include having difficulty sleeping,

> slow growth and loss of appetite.

>

> " For them there is often no effective treatment. In our trial we found

> that we got a good response from 75 per cent of the children on the

> new drug. The criterion was that they should have as good or a better

> response to it than Ritalin. "

>

> One of the children involved in the trial with atomoxetine is Andrew

> Wainwright, 14, from Dronfield, near Sheffield.

>

> His mother Charmaine, a 45-year-old sales representative, said: " This

> drug is the best thing that has happened to Andrew. He has occasional

> moments of hyperactivity, but nothing that's a problem. Before he was

> a real handful. "