Vyvanse Fails Clinical Trials For Depression
Shire has indicated that it will no longer continue developing Vyvanse as a drug to treat depression. Vyvanse was previously in clinical trials, but after unsuccessful results, the company has decided to move in a different direction. During the clinical trials, the drug did not have a positive impact on patients suffering from depression. Shire also had a dry-eye drug produce limited results in clinical trials in December of 2013.
Vyvanse is currently a commonly prescribed drug for ADHD, and there are no plans to stop its use for ADHD treatment. Last year, Vyvanse made Shire over $1.2 billion for treating ADHD. Drug industry investors felt that if Vyvanse was successful in its clinical trials for depression, it could generate another $315 million through the year 2018. Instead, the company saw its stock price fall 2% after the decision to discontinue Vyvanse clinical trials for depression was made public. Investors were disappointed with the news.
Shire still has further plans for developing Vyvanse, for example, as a treatment for binge eating. Industry experts believe that binge eating is a potentially profitable area of research for Shire, but it can also be risky. Since Vyvanse has not faced any testing for binge eating, the company could stand to lose money in the development and testing phase. Most drug industry analysts still remain optimistic about the company, even after its recent run of clinical trials.
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