Jornay PM Decreases ADHD Symptoms and Increases Growth Trajectories Among Pediatric Patients

A retrospective analysis of pediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) found that Jornay PM (DR/ER-MPH) decreased ADHD symptoms compared with placebo and was associated with a positive growth trajectory. These findings were presented during Psych Congress 2021 held in San Antonio, Texas, from October 29 to November 1, 2021.

A previously published phase 3 trial reported positive outcomes with DR/ER-MPH, a delayed-release/extended-release methylphenidate therapy. In order to determine whether these findings could be replicated in a real-world setting, a researcher from Austin Regional Clinic in Texas retrospectively assessed patient (N=30) records of individuals with ADHD who had at least 3 months of DR/ER-MPH use. Patients were assessed for dosage, changes to parent- and patient-reported ADHD symptoms, and growth.

Patients were 30% girls and aged mean 12.8 (standard deviation [SD], 3.1) years; 70% had received stimulant treatment previously, 87% had at least 1 psychiatric comorbidity, and 76% were on at least 1 concomitant psychotropic medication.

Patients had a starting DR/ER-MPH dose of 20 (40%), 40 (43%), 60 (10%), and 80 (7%) mg. The average optimum dosage was 70.7 (range, 40-100) mg/d.

Patients reported improved focus (n=29), decreased side effects (n=18), improved grades (n=8), improved mornings (n=8), decreased impulsivity (n=3), and improved duration (n=2).

Among the 28 patients who reported eating behaviors, 26 said they were eating normally, 1 ate “lots,” and 1 ate less. For the 13 who reported appetite patterns, 6 said their appetite increased, 5 had a normal appetite, and 2 said their appetite decreased.

The median z-scores for weight increased from a median of 0.38 (interquartile range [IQR], -0.16 to 1.06) at baseline to 0.71 (IQR, -0.31 to 1.50) after the DR/ER-MPH dose was optimized. Z-scores for height increased from 0 (IQR, -0.32 to 0.92) to 0.05 (IQR, -0.32 to 0.92).

This study was limited by its single center, retrospective design.

These data confirmed findings from a phase 3 trial in which pediatric patients with ADHD had favorable changes to symptoms and positive growth trajectories after receiving treatment with JORNAY PM.

Disclosure: The study was sponsored by Ironshore Pharmaceuticals and Development, Inc.

Reference

Anderson JC. Early integration of delayed-release/extended-release methylphenidate (JORNAY PM®) into a pediatric practice: retrospective electronic medical record analysis of children and adolescents with ADHD. Poster presented at: Psych Congress 2021, October 29-November 1, 2021; San Antonio, Texas. Poster 3.