Drug shortage Alert: Millions of patients affected as FDA reports shortfalls of essential drugs

[Image courtesy of Monkey Business/Adobe Stock]

Millions of U.S. patients are facing medication shortages, according to recent FDA data. The Adderall drug shortage in particular has received significant attention in recent months. Other notable drugs currently facing shortages include the bronchodilator Albuterol and the popular antibiotics amoxicillin and azithromycin.

The pandemic and supply chain challenges are partly to blame for the drug shortages. In recent years, manufacturing output for some drugs sank as a result of factors such as pandemic-induced restrictions and worker shortages. The pandemic also contributed to supply chain disruptions. For instance, China and India, both major suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients and other materials. As a result, the pharma industry has been forced to find new ways to ensure a steady supply of raw materials and ingredients.

To illustrate the imp…

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Adderall shortage could persist for remainder of 2022

[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…

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U.S. Adderall shortage continues

[Chemical structure model courtesy of PubChem]

Demand for the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder drug Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) has skyrocketed in the past decade. In 2021, physicians prescribed the medication and its generic equivalents 41.4 million times.

Supplies of generic Adderall XR, however, remain scarce. Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Rhodes Pharmaceuticals, Par Pharmaceutical, Sandoz and Teva had the drug on backorder in late August, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

Labor shortages are partly to blame for the supply disruptions.

Initially marketed by Shire, Adderall is now part of Takeda’s drug portfolio. Takeda acquired Shire in 2019.

The drug’s patent expired in 2009. The drug first hit the U.S. market in 1996.

A 2015 review found psychostimulants such as Adderall led to cognition improvements in adults.

T…

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