Evaluating Guanfacine Hydrochloride in the Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adult Patients: Design, Development and Place in Therapy

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by age-inappropriate and impairing levels of inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity, or a combination of these characteristics. It is estimated to affect around 4% of adults worldwide. In the past few decades, prescriptions for ADHD drugs (psychostimulants and non-psychostimulants) have increased significantly. However, the efficacy and safety of adult ADHD medications remains controversial. Guanfacine extended-release (GXR) is a non-psychostimulant ADHD drug that is a selective α2A-adrenergic receptor agonist, first approved for treatment of adult ADHD in Japan in June 2019. Our aim was to provide an overview of GXR pharmacology and review the studies on efficacy and safety that have been conducted in adults with ADHD. The beneficial actions of guanfacine are thought to be attributed to the strengthening of prefrontal cortical network connections, which regulate attention, emotion, and behavior via the activity at post-synaptic α2A receptors. Current evidence of GXR efficacy and safety suggests that GXR is an effective monotherapy treatment option for adults with ADHD.

Keywords:

• attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
• pharmacotherapy
• guanfacine
• adults
• nonstimulant

Acknowledgments

We thank Sarina Iwabuchi, PhD, from Edanz Group (https://en-author-services.edanz.com/ac) for editing a draft of this manuscript.

Abbreviations

ADHD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; GXR, guanfacine extended-release; CYP, cytochrome p450; ADHD-RS, ADHD Rating Scale.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.