Adderall

[Image courtesy of Benjamin Vincent Kasapoglu via Wikimedia Commons]

Generic versions of the Takeda’s (NYSE:TAK) ADHD drug Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine) remain in short supply in October after some manufacturers predicted in September that supplies of the drug would stabilize.

Teva (NYSE:TEVA) recently disclosed that it could struggle to supply the drug for the next two to three months. However, the company is “producing and distributing as much as possible, as quickly as possible,” according to Teva spokesperson Kelley Dougherty.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) subsidiary Sandoz has also acknowledged having a generic Adderall shortage. Sandoz is the second biggest manufacturer of the drug.

Last week, Bloomberg reported that Sandoz had supply problems with both the drug’s extended- and immediate-release versions.

Some patients have had to wait multiple months to have prescriptions filled, according to Generics Bulletin.

Currently, seven out of nine manufacturers of the drug report Adderall shortages. The latest to join the list are Sun Pharma and Camber Pharmaceuticals.

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has documented supply problems related to Adderall generics since August.

According to ASHP, affected manufacturers did not provide a reason for the shortage.

In August, Teva reported a labor shortage on the packaging line for its 20-mg and 30-mg Adderall generic tablets.

FDA doesn’t currently list Adderall generics in its database of drug shortages. The agency, however, cites a drug shortage occurring from September 2019 to 2022.

Demand for Adderall, which was first approved in 2001, has increased in recent years. Last year, there were 41 million prescriptions for the drug compared to 21.3 million in 2012, according to estimates from Symphony Health.

Adderall is a Schedule II drug and is commonly abused.

Earlier this year, FDA and DEA sent joint warning letters to owners of the websites kubapharm.com and premiumlightssupplier.com that claimed to sell Adderall and other medicines without a prescription.