RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc (RSPI)

[neuroinv]

Adderall XR went generic (Barr) yesterday. Shire has been working overtime trying to switch patients to Vyvanse, but I am skeptical that payors will absorb the premium for a drug that offers modestly longer duration and what some patients report as a 'smoother' subjective experience. As I noted yesterday, Concerta could go generic sooner than expected. Those are the two 800lb ADHD gorillas. In terms of off-label less-than-impressive choices; Provigil goes generic in 2011, Nuvigil is ready in the wings, and offers very little advantage other than modestly improved duration of action. For Shire and JNJ, this will be generic hell.

Strattera is mediocre. Another source from Lilly recently confirmed (again) that Lilly knows it only is effective in 20% of patients, and that they know which subgroup it is--and if they were launching today, it would not be for the whole population, they'd try to target that subgroup. Too late.

One would think that this would accelerate the development of nonstim ADHD alternatives, the nicotinics and Ampakines to name two.

NeuroInvestment