Posted by laima on March 1, 2007, at 10:13:05
In reply to Re: Question about if the new ADHD medication, posted by notfred on March 1, 2007, at 8:06:24
Unclear to me- I am not so versed in chemistry. Actually, pretty remedial at comprehending chemistry. Yes, I think dexedrine is supposed to be d-amphetamine- but I think that only because that is how it is listed on my pharmacy insert for generic adderall--adderall is supposed to contain dexedrine. The generic version is called "d-amphetamine, l-amphetamine salts". (I realize my method for this conclusion isn't science.)
I get the impression that for the new med, they started with dexedrine, but then altered it to metabolize in some novel way, in order to get rid of some of the effects which make amphetamines so appealing to abuse. (They attached it so some kind of enzyme?) The big innovation has got something to do with how it's metabolized, I gather. In any case, from digging around online last night, and per recollection of posts seen on babble in the past, I found that there are rumours claiming that even when taken orally as directed, this new med has near eliminated dexedrine's potential for a euphoric effect, as well as it's potential for feeling "speeded up". There are also rumours that it takes a longer time to take effect, so it's not like one can swallow it and can then feel high or speedy within the hour, no matter how much they take. The theory is that all this makes it less appealing or tempting to abuse. And as for the snortting set- they won't like it because it has zero effects until it is metabolized in the gut, and supposedly it can't get there via the nose. The wikipedia article puts it all into plainer English than Shire's press releases do. Well, yes of course, the fda is or has been demmanding stronger proof for these remarkable claims, which probably explains why it was still put in Schedule 2, but nevertheless, they did end up approving the med just very recently- like within the last week. Don't know if Shire toned down the claims, or just took them out of the literature. Or-maybe some of them were stretches. In any case, I'm sure they just wanted to hurry up and get their new product on the market. Since the drug does not even seem to be available yet, I guess we'll have to wait for candid patient reports of what it's really all about, how it feels. Sounds that it will most likely be out in spring 2007.
> dexadrine is d-amphetamine.
poster:laima
thread:737078
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070224/msgs/737312.html