The ADHD drug shortage is spreading as supplies of a popular alternative to Adderall run worryingly low
Supply of a common Adderall alternative is running low, further limiting options for US patients amid a national shortage of ADHD drugs that has lasted almost a year.
Vyvanse, sold by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., is in low inventory due to manufacturing issues, a company spokesperson told Bloomberg News. “Increased demand for Vyvanse in the wake of other ADHD medication supply shortages has limited our ability to have additional inventory on-hand to help mitigate potential supply disruptions,” a representative wrote in an email.
Three doses of the drug will be affected, according to a post on the drug maker’s website. For some doses, Takeda expects the issue will persist into September. The company declined to elaborate on the cause of the manufacturing issues.
Drug shortages from cancer treatments to antibiotics are at a five-year high. Lawmakers and the White House say they’re working to address the issue.
Across the US, people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have had trouble filling prescriptions for Adderall since August, after a labor shortage at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the largest manufacturer of brand and generic Adderall, squeezed supply. Since then, other ADHD drugs have seen surges in demand and experienced shortages of their own.
At the beginning of 2023, Vyvanse prescriptions began to spike, and they remain well above the levels in previous years, according to data from Symphony Health. In May, 1.35 million prescriptions were dispensed at US pharmacies, compared with 1.04 million the year prior.
David W. Goodman, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a psychiatrist in the Baltimore area, said that he has been prescribing Vyvanse for patients who can’t fill their Adderall prescriptions. It’s relatively easy to switch from Adderall to Vyvanse, he said, because both are amphetamine-based drugs.
“That was a common clinical practice for me and my colleagues,” he said.
Goodman wasn’t aware of any supply issues. “If that’s something that’s developed recently, we’ve got a new challenge,” he said.
