Shire has spoken out to stress that it has nothing to do with the shortages of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drug Adderall that the USA is suffering.

The company responded to questions about reports of the shortage by noting that the problem lies with the immediate release formulation of the drug, ie Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) IR. Shire stated that it "does not own, manufacture or distribute the medication" and suggests that questions about the supply shortage be directed to the companies that do.

Shire developed Adderall IR, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, for ADHD in children in 1996. However, it divested the rights in 2007 and the now-genericised treatment is sold in the USA by Sandoz, CorePharma and Teva.

The Dublin, Ireland-headquartered group markets Adderall XR, the extended-release version of the drug that was approved in 2001, and "current inventories of all strengths of Adderall XR are sufficient to meet patient demand".

The USA's Drug Enforcement Administration thinks the problem is in distribution, rather than a real shortage, while manufacturers claim that  quotas imposed by the DEA, which limit how much of the drug can be produced to prevent it being diverted for illicit use, are stopping them from keeping up with demand.