Is Viloxazine relevant for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children? Study sheds light

USA: A review article, published in the Frontiers in Psychiatry has described the relevance of Viloxazine for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study by Amber N. Edinoff, Louisiana State University Health Science Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States, and colleagues stated that the drug's clinical effects, mechanism of action, and limited side effect profile point towards its relevance in ADHD treatment. 

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a chronic condition, is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children. Over the past 20 years, there has been exponential growth with regard to research on the disease and its characteristics and treatment options. Stimulants, which have a response rate of ~70%, are the first-line pharmacologic treatment of ADHD. 

The FDA has given approval to the non-stimulant, serotonin-norepinephrine modulating agent (SNMA) viloxazine in an extended-release capsule (viloxazine ER) for ADHD treatment in children aged 6–17. The approval was based on the results from phase 3 studies involving more than 1,000 pediatric patients 6–17 years old. Viloxazine works by modulating serotonergic activity as a selective 5-HT22B receptor antagonist and 5-HT2C receptor agonist and moderately inhibiting norepinephrine transporter (NET), thus blocking the reuptake of norepinephrine.