Table 1.
Treatment options for ADHD in children and adolescents in Germany (D) and the United Kingdom (UK): product availability and acquisition cost
| Active compound | Formulation | Abbreviation | Trade name | Manufacturer | Authorization1 | Cost per treatment day2 | ||
| UK/D | UK | D | Assumption | |||||
| Dexamphetamine sulphate | Tablets (5 mg) | DEX | DexedrineR | UCB (Celltech) | ≤ 2000 | £ 0.43 | n.a. | 20 mg/d |
| Methylphenidate hydrochloride | Immediate-release tablets (10 mg) | MPH-IR-o | RitalinR | UK: Cephalon; D: Novartis | ≤ 2000 | £ 0.56 | €1.58 | 30 mg/d (DDD), divided in three daily doses |
| Methylphenidate hydrochloride | Immediate-release tablets (5, 10, 20 mg) | MPH-IR-b | Branded Generics: EquasymRMedikinetR | UCB (previously Celltech); Medice (D only) | ≤ 2000 | £ 0.52 | €1.41 | 30 mg/d (DDD), divided in three daily doses |
| Methylphenidate hydrochloride | Immediate-release tablets (5, 10, 20 mg) | MPH-IR-g | Generics (misc. non-proprietary) | 1A, TAD, et al. | £ 0.38 | €1.13 | 30 mg/d (DDD), divided in three daily doses | |
| Methylphenidate hydrochloride | Modified-release tablets (18, 36, 54 mg) | MPH-MR12 | ConcertaR XL (OROS delivery system) | Janssen-Cilag | UK: 2002 (Feb., 19) | £ 1.23 | €2.94 | 36 mg/d (administered once daily) |
| Methylphenidate hydrochloride | Modified-release capsules (10, 20, 30, 40 mg) | MPH-MR08 (note different formulations) | EquasymR XL (biphasic Diffucaps delivery system); | UCB (previously Celltech); | UK: 2005 (Feb., 11); D: mutual recognition May 2006 | £ 1.17 | 30 mg/d (administered once daily) | |
| MedikinetR retard | Medice (D only) | D: January 2005 | €2.46 | |||||
| Atomoxetine hydrochloride | Hard capsules (10, 18, 25, 40, 60 mg) | ATX | StratteraR | Eli Lilly | UK: 2004 (May, 27); D: May 2005 |
£ 1.95 £ 3.80 |
€3.88 €7.76 |
(once daily. administration) (administration divided in two daily doses) |
1First authorization in UK, from electronic Medicines Compendium, available online at http://emc.medicines.org.uk, accessed August 12, 2005.
2NHS acquisition costs (not accounting for negotiated procurement discounts in some settings), taken from British National Formulary 51, March 2006 [75]; note that individual doses and thus costs may vary. German data retrieved from "Gelbe Liste", July 2006 [76]. Note that, at the time of printing this paper, in Germany reference prices have been proposed for products containing methylphenidate as the active ingredient.