ADHD Medication Revenue Rises Driven By Diagnosis Surge

Over the last eight years, diagnoses for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have skyrocketed by 42%, according to data from Healthline, and with it, a surge in prescriptions to treat the condition.

The significant uptick was also aided by guidelines for diagnosing ADHD in adults established by the American Psychiatric Association in 2013, according to a new report on ADHD medication manufacturing from marketing research firm IBISWorld. Prior to that point, ADHD was considered to primarily be a children’s issue.

The report notes that data from IMS Health found that prescriptions for ADHD drugs has risen at an annualized rate of 6.1% to 80 million scripts from 2010 to 2013.

“Overall, more ADHD drugs were dispensed over that period, due to strong demand from particular demographics, such as male individuals aged 12 to 18,” IBISWorld analyst Sarah Turk said in a statement.

IBISWorld projects that drugmaker revenue from ADHD medications will rise 13% this year, reaching $12.9 billion. In addition, such revenue is expected to grown at an annualized rate of 6.3% and reach $17.5 billion over the next five years.

However, the report notes that several brand-named ADHD drugs are set to lose their patent exclusivity in the coming years, leading to cheaper generic versions and boosting price-based competition.

Reference

IBISWorld. ADHD Medication Manufacturing in the US Industry Market Research Report. News Release. February 9, 2015.