The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published Drug Safety Update for March 2009. One of the drugs reviewed is atomoxetin (Strattera), a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor used for the treatment of ADHD. These are the recommendations:
Advice for healthcare professionals:
• At normal doses, atomoxetine can be associated with treatment-emergent psychotic or manic symptoms (eg, hallucinations, delusional thinking, mania, or agitation) in children and adolescents without a history of psychotic illness or mania.
• If such symptoms occur , consideration should be given to a possible causal role of atomoxetine and discontinuation of treatment.
• It remains possible that atomoxetine might exacerbate pre-existing psychotic or manic symptoms.
The Midlands Therapeutics Review and Advisory Committee stated in a May 2006 verdict and summary of atomoxetine:
“Initiation of atomoxetine treatment and stabilisation of the dose should be the responsibility of a specialist. It is then appropiate to prescribe atomoxetine in primary care with the guidance of an ESCA”.
Recently (January 2009), the FDA reminded about the risk of serious hepatic damage with atomoxetine.