PHILADELPHIA, July 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Shire Limited , the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced today the re-launch of its educational Web site, ADHDSupport.com, designed to provide families, caregivers, educators and patients with tools and resources about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The newly enhanced ADHDSupport.com provides visitors with some information about the evaluation process and management of the disorder, as well as tools and practical tips to help patients with ADHD manage their daily activities.
“ADHD is a common psychiatric disorder that can impact the lives of many people, including patients, caregivers, friends and co-workers. It has certainly impacted my own life both personally and professionally,” said Michele Novotni, Ph.D., internationally recognized ADHD expert, former president and CEO of the national Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), psychologist and consultant in the development of ADHDSupport.com. “Because I have seen the pain of unrealized dreams and untapped potential first-hand among those with ADHD, I am passionate about providing information about ADHD in easily accessible formats. In fact, there are many people who do not realize that they or their children may have ADHD and many are unaware of the resources available to help individuals with ADHD find out more about the disorder. After reviewing ADHDSupport.com from a clinical and personal perspective, I can confirm that the Web site is a helpful tool for support and information about ADHD.”
The re-designed ADHDSupport.com provides visitors, especially those who may be new to ADHD, with an easy-to-navigate road map to help learn about ADHD and finding daily successes while living with the disorder. The site offers information about the recognition, diagnosis and management of the disorder, assistance with how to identify and select a healthcare professional and what to expect when meeting with a physician about ADHD. The Web site will also feature a symptom tracker to help record ADHD symptoms to be used in follow-up discussions with the healthcare professional, practical tips on how to get organized, and stay organized, and the best ways to set and evaluate goals. Additionally, a teacher discussion guide and homework planner, as well as an email reminder program — which allows users to set up various reminders for themselves or for their children, including for medical appointments, prescriptions, and social activities — will be available later this summer in time for the back-to-school season.
ADHDSupport.com also provides detailed information about events that may be helpful to people living with ADHD, such as the 13-city mobile screening event from Shire, known as the “RoADHD Trip,” which is designed to help adults who think they may have ADHD take the first step toward recognizing the symptoms of the disorder by answering the 6-question World Health Organization adult ADHD screener. Additionally, the Web site highlights conferences this year, such as the 13th annual Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) national conference and the 20th annual Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) international conference.
“ADHDSupport.com is a useful Web site that contains all sorts of helpful information about ADHD,” said ADHD patient, Heather Jenkins. “If you have ADHD like me, or think you know someone who might, ADHDSupport.com is an excellent place to go for a helpful road map on both information about ADHD and the steps you can take to help yourself or others find out more about ADHD.”
About ADHD
ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Approximately 7.8 percent of all school-aged children, or about 4.4 million U.S. children aged 4 to 17 years, have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disorder is also estimated to affect 4.4 percent of U.S. adults aged 18-44 based on results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a nationally representative household survey, which used a lay-administered diagnostic interview to assess a wide range of DSM-IV disorders. When this percentage is extrapolated to the full U.S. population, approximately 9.8 million adults are believed to have ADHD. ADHD is a neurobiological 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. To be properly diagnosed with ADHD, a child needs to demonstrate at least six of nine symptoms of inattention; and/or at least six of nine symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity; the onset of which appears before age 7 years; that some impairment from the symptoms is present in two or more settings (e.g., at school and home); that the symptoms continue for at least six months; and that there is clinically significant impairment in social, academic or occupational functioning and the symptoms cannot be better explained by another psychiatric disorder.
Although there is no “cure” for ADHD, there are accepted treatments that specifically target its symptoms. The most common standard treatments include educational approaches, psychological or behavioral modification, and medication.
SHIRE LIMITED
Shire’s strategic goal is to become the leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician. Shire focuses its business on attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), human genetic therapies (HGT), gastrointestinal (GI) and renal diseases. The structure is sufficiently flexible to allow Shire to target new therapeutic areas to the extent opportunities arise through acquisitions. Shire’s in-licensing, merger and acquisition efforts are focused on products in niche markets with strong intellectual property protection either in the US or Europe. Shire believes that a carefully selected portfolio of products with strategically aligned and relatively small-scale sales forces will deliver strong results.
For further information on Shire, please visit the Company’s website: http://www.shire.com/
“SAFE HARBOR” STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
Statements included herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. In the event such risks or uncertainties materialize, Shire’s results could be materially affected. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with: the inherent uncertainty of pharmaceutical research, product development including, but not limited to the successful development of JUVISTA(R) (Human TGFb3) and veleglucerase alfa (GA-GCB); manufacturing and commercialization including, but not limited to, the establishment in the market of VYVANSE(TM) (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (“ADHD”)); the impact of competitive products, including, but not limited to, the impact of those on Shire’s ADHD franchise; patents, including but not limited to, legal challenges relating to Shire’s ADHD franchise; government regulation and approval, including but not limited to the expected product approval date of INTUNIV(TM) (guanfacine extended release) (ADHD); Shire’s ability to secure new products for commercialization and/or development; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Shire’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Shire plc’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.
Shire Limited
CONTACT: Jacelyn Seng, +1-212-601-8385, [email protected],or Kerri Thompson, +1-212-601-8394, [email protected], both ofPorter Novelli for Shire
Web site: http://www.shire.com/http://www.adhdsupport.com/
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