Adderall is a brand-name pharmaceutical psychostimulant composed of mixed amphetamine salts, the actions of which are sympathomimetic. The drug is used primarily to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, which are its only two approved indications for use in the United States. It is available in two formulations: immediate release and extended release (XR). The XR formulation, however, is not approved to treat narcolepsy.

Other Uses

Adderall has also been used successfully to manage severe cases of treatment-resistant depression. Individuals who show little or no response to typical antidepressants, including SSRIs and tricyclic antidepressants, are more likely to respond to psychostimulant therapy. These patients, however, are the exception, rather than the norm among those with depression and this is not an approved indication. Other recognized uses include:

• Idiopathic Central Nervous System Hypersomnia established by recognized diagnostic criteria
• Drug-induced brain dysfunction
• Epilepsy
• Depression shown to be refractory to other therapeutic modalities
• Senile apathetic behavior.

These above uses are not necessarily licensed in any particular country; for example they are not FDA approved in the USA.

History

Shire Pharmaceuticals introduced the Adderall brand in 1996 in the form of a multi-dose, instant-release tablet derived from an original formula of the weight management drug Obetrol. In 2006, Shire agreed to sell rights to the Adderall name for this instant-release medication to Duramed PharmaceuticalsPress Release: Barr and Shire Sign Three Agreements, August 14, 2006, Accessed May 1, 2008. and this instant-release medication has since become available in a generic formulation of "mixed amphetamine salts"[http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/amphet.htm Adderall (Amphetamine Mixed Salts) drug description - FDA approved labeling for prescription drugs and medications at RxList ]. The active ingredients of Adderall include a combination of dextroamphetamine and racemic -amphetamine salts. In 2001, Shire Pharmaceuticals introduced an extended-release preparation of these ingredients in a variety of dosages under the brand name "Adderall XR" (extended release), on which Shire retains exclusive patent rights until the patent expires, expected in 2009.

Chemistry

Specifically, Adderall XR is composed of the following proportions of active ingredientsShire US Inc., "Prescribing Information" sheet (PDF) for Adderall XR, March, 2007. Accessed May 1, 2008: