Strattera (atomoxetine HCl), a non-stimulant treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is now approved for use in the United Kingdom and will be available by mid-July.

Strattera is a non-stimulant approved for the treatment of ADHD in children and adults. Before Strattera's approval, the stimulant methylphenidate was the only licensed treatment for ADHD in the UK.

"Health care professionals involved in the care of children with ADHD have long expressed a desire to be able to offer parents an alternative to stimulant treatment," said Dr Val Harpin, consultant paediatrician from Sheffield Children's Trust located in the UK.

According to the National Center of Clinical Excellence (NICE), 5 per cent of children are estimated to suffer from ADHD in the UK.
ADHD affects 3-7 percent of school-age children and manifests itself in levels of attention, concentration, activity, distractibility and impulsivity that are inappropriate to the child's age. 60 per cent of children with the disorder carry their symptoms into adulthood.