Who is the manufacturer of Guanfacine?

Guanfacine is a drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) . Its original formulation was first developed and produced by Shire Pharmaceuticals (now part of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company), an American pharmaceutical company. Shire Pharmaceuticals launched the drug under the trade name "Intuniv" in 2009 specifically to treat ADHD in children and adolescents. Since then, Shire has promoted the global marketing of guanfacine and provided patients with new treatment options through the drug.

In 2017, Shire Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Japanese pharmaceutical giant Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. The acquisition will transfer the production and sales of guanfacine from Shire to Takeda. Therefore, the current manufacturer of guanfacine is Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

Guanfacine, as an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, was originally developed by an American pharmaceutical company in the 1970s and was first used to treat hypertension. In the late 1980s, Shire realized the potential of guanfacine in improving ADHD symptoms and, after clinical studies, gradually introduced it to the market as a new drug for the treatment of ADHD. Guanfacine has gradually become one of the first-choice drugs to treat ADHD due to its fewer side effects, especially its ability to improve impulse control and attention while causing fewer addiction problems.

Guanfacine's market positioning and sales promotion have also undergone many changes. In the initial stage, guanfacine was mainly used for the treatment of hypertension in adults and children, especially when other drugs were ineffective or had side effects, guanfacine was widely used as a second-line treatment drug. However, with the increasing demand for ADHD treatment, the ADHD indication of guanfacine has gradually become its core market. During this process, Shire conducted adaptive research and redevelopment of its drugs and launched different dosage forms to better meet the needs of patients.

Reference materials:https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB01018