Shire starts two adult ADHD outreach programs

Shire plc today announced two initiatives reinforcing their commitment to the care of adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a psychiatric behavioral disorder that affects an estimated 10 million adults across the country.*

The first initiative, "RoADHD Trip," a multi-city self screening tour, will visit eight cities across the country in an effort to raise awareness that ADHD in adults is a real and treatable medical disorder. The second initiative, ADHD Clinical Education (ACE) Program, includes a field-based team of experienced psychiatric nurses who will provide in-office education to physicians and their staff on ADHD in adults.

"These programs demonstrate that adults with ADHD have Shire's full attention. We are committed to providing information not only to adults who may be struggling with the symptoms of the disorder, but also to the physicians who treat them," said Michael Yasick, Senior Vice President of the ADHD Business Unit at Shire. "Our 2008 screening outreach initiative was very successful at raising awareness -- nearly 52,000 adults self-screened. We are happy to continue this program and take awareness one step further by providing additional education to physicians, as well."

About RoADHD Trip and ACE Programs

"RoADHD Trip" provides the opportunity for adults who think they may have ADHD to take the first step toward recognizing the symptoms of the disorder by completing a six-question World Health Organization (WHO) adult ADHD self-screener. Shire is partnering with the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), a leading adult ADHD patient advocacy organization, in an effort to assist more than 25,000 additional adults to self-screen for this disorder. Adults who think they may have ADHD are invited to participate in a free self-screening when the Shire ADHD "RoADHD Trip" arrives in their area. "RoADHD Trip" will visit a total of eight cities, including Milwaukee, WI; Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; Indianapolis, IN; St Paul, MN; Pomona, CA; Oklahoma City, OK; and Dallas, TX.

The ACE Program includes a field-based team of experienced psychiatric nurses who will provide in-office education to physicians and their staff on ADHD in adults. This education program will be provided on a flexible schedule conducive to the busy environment of a primary care physician. The clinical educators will conduct educational sessions focusing on the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD in adults.

To find out more about ADHD in adults, please visit ADHDSupport.com.

About the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)

ADDA is committed to providing information, resources, and networking to adults with ADHD and to the professionals who work with them. ADDA provides adults with meaningful ways to connect with professionals, coaches, and other ADHD adults living with ADHD in their homes, workplace, and every day lives. To learn more, visit ADDA online at www.realadultadd.org.

About ADHD

ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Worldwide prevalence of ADHD is estimated at 5.3 percent (with large variability), according to a comprehensive systematic review of this topic published in 2007 in the American Journal of Psychiatry. In the United States, approximately 7.8 percent of all school-aged children, or about 4.4 million children aged 4 to 17 years, have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disorder is also estimated to affect 4.4 percent of US adults aged 18 to 44 based on results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. When this percentage is extrapolated to the full US population aged 18 and over, approximately 9.8 million adults are believed to have ADHD.

ADHD is a psychiatric behavioral disorder that manifests as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development. The specific etiology of ADHD is unknown and there is no single diagnostic test for this syndrome. Adequate diagnosis requires the use of medical and special psychological, educational, and social resources, utilizing diagnostic criteria such as Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV((R))) or International Classification of Diseases 10 (ICD-10).

Although there is no cure for ADHD, there are accepted treatments that specifically target its symptoms. Standard treatments include educational approaches, psychological or behavioral modification, and medication.

Figure calculated based on 4.4 percent estimated prevalence of ADHD in US adults aged 18 to 44 (based on results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication) extrapolated to the full US population aged 18 and over.