Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the leading manufacturer of the widely used autism drug risperidone, omitted data on the drug’s side effects from a 2003 study, according to evidence presented during a lawsuit against the company.
Risperidone can ease irritability in people with autism, but has no effect on repetitive behaviors, social impairments or communication deficits, according to a study published 19 November.
Doctors in European countries prescribe more medications to people with autism than do doctors in Asian countries, reports a study of 30 countries, published 3 June in Autism Research.
There are no available medications for treating autism’s core symptoms, but there are several candidates in clinical trials. Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele describes the factors researchers must take into account when developing drugs for the disorder.
Risperidone, the first drug approved for children with autism and the most widely used, improves some children’s behavior but can have severe side effects, suggests an informal analysis of the drug’s use.
It’s common for children with autism to take more than one medication to improve symptoms, despite the dearth of information about the drugs’ long-term safety, according to two new studies.
The most popular drugs prescribed for autism in some countries often have serious side effects or have not been vetted in robust clinical trials, finds a study published 5 September in Psychopharmacology.
U.K. doctors prescribe fewer medications for autism than doctors in the U.S., perhaps due to tighter drug laws and a more conservative medical culture, suggests a new study, published 17 May in Psychopharmacology.
Long-term treatment with risperidone — an antipsychotic approved to treat autism — may boost levels of prolactin, a hormone that stimulates milk production, according to a study published in December in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Risperidone use may also affect sexual function and lead to enlarged breasts in males, the study found.
A growing number of studies suggest connections between Alzheimer’s disease, fragile X syndrome and autism, which could point the way to potential treatments.