Lisdexamfetamine 40mg capsules
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Strict controls: safe custody, register required
Legal requirements and restrictions
These are medicines with high potential for misuse but with accepted medical uses. Subject to the strictest controls.
Legal requirements
- Must be stored in a locked controlled drugs cabinet
- Pharmacy must keep a controlled drugs register
- Prescriptions valid for 28 days only
- Prescriptions must include specific details (dose, form, strength, total quantity)
- Cannot be emergency supplied by pharmacists
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Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
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MHRA alerts for Lisdexamfetamine
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Lisdexamfetamine
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Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Lisdexamfetamine
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EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
5 branded products available
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Lisdexamfetamine on the MHRA register
Elvanse 40mg capsules
This is the NHS Drug Tariff indicative price used for reimbursement purposes. It may not reflect the price paid by patients or pharmacies.
View full Drug TariffSource: NHS Drug Tariff via NHSBSA. Derived from dm+d VMPP (Virtual Medicinal Product Pack) pricing data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
30 mg
Not a recommended dose. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults. It is a statistical measure used for research and comparison purposes only.
Source: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, distributed via the NHS dm+d supplementary mapping files (NHSBSA). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
NICE clinical guidance(1)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
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NHS UK identifiers
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SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 22 · Randomised trials: 17 · 2010–2026
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
James I. Hudson, Susan L. McElroy, M. C. Ferreira-Cornwell, et al.
JAMA Psychiatry, 2017
Oliva HNP, Prudente TP, Mayerson TF, et al.
2025
- Central Nervous System Stimulants
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
- Methylphenidate
ImportanceThe use of stimulant medications has expanded substantially beyond the traditional treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to encompass a variety of other clinical conditions. Understanding the safety of these medications is important as their use increases across diverse patient populations.ObjectiveTo assess the safety of stimulant medications as reported in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) investigating methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine, and other amphetamines.Data sourcesA comprehensive literature search was conducted from July 1, 2024, through February 28, 2025, using CINAHL, Embase, PubMed or MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science for studies published since 2000. Keywords included safety, adverse event, side effect, amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, stimulant, lisdexamfetamine, and methylphenidate.Study selectionRCTs published between January 1, 2000, and December 13, 2024, were included. These trials investigated the safety of stimulants in various clinical conditions, including ADHD, depression, binge eating disorder, schizophrenia, Alzheimer disease, and stimulant use disorders as well as in healthy individuals. Trials not focused on safety or adverse events (AEs) of stimulants, nonoriginal research, nonhuman research, trials with concomitant prescriptions other than stimulants, and trials without a placebo group were excluded.Data extraction and synthesisData extraction followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. Independent reviewers extracted study data, and a random-effects model was used to pool results. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was the risk ratio (RR) of developing any AE in participants taking stimulants vs placebo.ResultsA total of 93 RCTs were included after exclusions. The methodological quality assessment of the included trials showed overall low or unclear risk of bias. Trials with a duration of up to 52 weeks showed that stimulant medications were associated with an increased risk of overall AEs compared with placebo (RR, 1.34; 90% CI, 1.27-1.41), with high heterogeneity (I2 = 67%). Statistical significance of this finding was maintained when subgroups (ie, methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine, and other amphetamines) were separately analyzed.Conclusions and relevanceThis meta-analysis found an increased risk of overall AEs associated with stimulants compared with placebo. Future research could provide more standardized and consistent assessments of this outcome and may improve understanding about misuse risk.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Nanna Roed Søndergaard, Karen Busk Nørøxe, Anders Helles Carlsen, et al.
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 2024
Camila Andrada Santos, M. A. Estrin
SCT Proceedings in Interdisciplinary Insights and Innovations, 2024
Ellwanger MP, Pomianoski BW, Vieira DL, et al.
2026
- Central Nervous System Stimulants
- Binge-Eating Disorder
- Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate
Rodrigues MS, Santos KAdSMd, Rafael LM
2026
Abstract Background: Lisdexamfetamine is a long-acting amphetamine-based prodrug widely used for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Its gradual conversion into dextroamphetamine provides a predictable pharmacokinetic profile, but its sympathomimetic activity may affect cardiovascular parameters, particularly heart rate, blood pressure, and electrocardiographic findings. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the cardiovascular effects and safety of lisdexamfetamine in individuals with ADHD and healthy volunteers. Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 recommendations and prospectively registered in PROSPERO. Searches were performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and SciELO for studies published between January 2000 and March 2026. Eligible studies included clinical trials, open-label extension studies, observational studies, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies, case reports, and systematic reviews reporting cardiovascular outcomes or safety data related to lisdexamfetamine. Study selection was performed in Rayyan, and risk of bias was assessed using tools appropriate to each study design, including RoB 2, the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, and AMSTAR 2. Results: A total of 727 records were identified, of which 99 duplicates were removed. After screening 628 titles and abstracts, 70 full-text reports were assessed for eligibility, and 20 studies were included in the final synthesis. Across pediatric, adult, and healthy volunteer populations, lisdexamfetamine was consistently associated with small mean increases in heart rate, generally ranging from 4 to 7 beats per minute, and modest increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, usually between 1 and 4 mmHg. Available studies did not show consistent evidence of clinically meaningful QTc prolongation or a significant increase in serious cardiovascular adverse events. However, most clinical studies excluded individuals with relevant cardiovascular disease or uncontrolled hypertension, limiting the generalizability of these findings to higher-risk populations. Conclusions: Lisdexamfetamine appears to have an overall favorable cardiovascular safety profile in selected and clinically monitored populations. Its main cardiovascular effects are modest increases in heart rate and blood pressure, consistent with its sympathomimetic mechanism. Nevertheless, individualized cardiovascular assessment and regular monitoring remain necessary, especially during long-term treatment and in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Matej Stuhec
2016
C. Grilo, V. Ivezaj, C. Tek, et al.
The American journal of psychiatry, 2024
- Obesity
- Central Nervous System Stimulants
- Binge-Eating Disorder
Nadine Ezard, B. Clifford, K. Siefried, et al.
Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2024
- Amphetamine-Related Disorders
- Methamphetamine
- Central Nervous System Stimulants
Abstract Aims This study tested the efficacy and safety of a 12‐week course of lisdexamfetamine in reducing methamphetamine use, an outcome which is associated with improvements in health and wellbeing, in people dependent on methamphetamine. Design, setting and participants This study was a randomised double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial conducted in six specialist outpatient clinics in Adelaide, Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney, Australia (2018–2021). Participants were164 adults with methamphetamine dependence, reporting at least 14 use days out of the previous 28 days (62% male, 38% female, < 1% other; mean age 39 years). Interventions Participants were randomly allocated 1:1 to a 15‐week regimen of lisdexamfetamine (1‐week induction to 250 mg, 12‐week maintenance regimen, 2‐week reduction; n = 80) or matched placebo (n = 84), followed‐up to Week 19. Measurements The primary efficacy measure was past 28‐day methamphetamine use at Week 13. Safety was assessed by adverse event rates. Secondary measures included methamphetamine use during the 12‐week treatment period and treatment satisfaction. Findings Nine randomized participants did not start treatment (five were allocated to lisdexamfetamine and four allocated to placebo) and were excluded from the analyses. Fifty‐seven per cent of participants were retained on study medication to primary end‐point. There was only weak evidence of a lisdexamfetamine benefit at 13 weeks [adjusted difference in days of methamphetamine use = 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) = –0.5 to 5.0; P = 0.49]. However, throughout the whole 12‐week treatment maintenance phase, the lisdexamfetamine group had fewer days of methamphetamine use in total (difference = 8.8, 95% CI = 2.7–15.0; P = 0.005). The lisdexamfetamine group reported greater self‐reported treatment effectiveness [odds ratio (OR) = 2.89, 95% CI = 1.67–5.02; P < 0.001] and treatment satisfaction (OR = 3.80, 95% CI = 1.93–7.47; P < 0.001). Adverse events with lisdexamfetamine included nausea. Serious adverse events occurred in four (5%) of participants who received lisdexamfetamine. Conclusions Lisdexamfetamine appears to reduce methamphetamine use over a 12‐week treatment period, although there is only weak evidence that reduced use is maintained during the last 4 weeks.
Abstract licence: CC BY
C. Grilo, V. Ivezaj, Sydney Yurkow, et al.
Psychological medicine, 2024
Background: Controlled research examining maintenance treatments for responders to acute interventions for binge-eating disorder (BED) is limited. This study tested efficacy of lisdexamfetamine (LDX) maintenance treatment amongst acute responders. Methods: Prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled single-site trial, conducted March 2019 to September 2023, tested LDX as maintenance treatment for responders to acute treatments with LDX-alone or with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT+LDX) for BED with obesity. Sixty-one (83.6% women, mean age 44.3, mean BMI 36.1 kg/m2) acute responders were randomized to LDX (N=32) or placebo (N=29) for 12 weeks; 95.1% completed posttreatment assessments. Mixed-models and generalized-estimating equations comparing maintenance LDX versus placebo included main/interactive effects of acute (LDX or CBT+LDX) treatments to examine their predictive/moderating effects. Results: Relapse rates (to diagnosis-level binge-eating frequency) following maintenance treatments were 10.0% (N=3/30) for LDX and 17.9% (N=5/28) for placebo; intention-to-treat binge-eating remission rates were 59.4% (N=19/32) and 65.5% (N=19/29), respectively. Maintenance LDX and placebo did not differ significantly in binge-eating but differed in weight-loss and eating-disorder psychopathology. Maintenance LDX was associated with significant weight-loss (−2.3%) whereas placebo had significant weight-gain (+2.2%); LDX and placebo differed significantly in weight-change throughout treatment and posttreatment. Eating-disorder psychopathology remained unchanged with LDX but increased significantly with placebo. Acute treatments did not significantly predict/moderate maintenance-treatment outcomes. Conclusions: Adults with BED/obesity who respond to acute lisdexamfetamine treatment (regardless of additionally receiving CBT) had good maintenance during subsequent 12-weeks. Maintenance lisdexamfetamine, relative to placebo, did not provide further benefit for binge-eating but was associated with significantly better eating-disorder psychopathology outcomes and greater weight-loss. Clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT03926052 (Cognitive-Behavioral and Pharmacologic (LDX) Treatment of Binge-Eating Disorder and Obesity: Maintenance Treatment)
Abstract licence: CC BY
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
238 found
Half-life
8 hours
Mechanism
Lisdexamfetamine is a prodrug of dextroamphetamine, which is a noncatecholamine…
Food interactions
3 warnings
Human targets
1 target
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
3.5 hours
Half-life
8 hours
Volume of distribution
[A40243]
Metabolism
Elimination
70 mg
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[L48280][L48285]
It is approved for use in the US and Canada.
Known interactions with other medicines. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1108 interactions
[L48285]
Manifestations of amphetamine overdose include restlessness, tremor, hyperreflexia, rapid respiration, confusion, assaultiveness, hallucinations, panic states, hyperpyrexia and rhabdomyolysis. Fatigue and depression usually follow the central nervous system stimulation. Serotonin syndrome has been reported with amphetamine use, including lisdexamfetamine.
Cardiovascular effects include arrhythmias, hypertension or hypotension and circulatory collapse. Gastrointestinal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Convulsions and coma usually precede fatal poisoning.
Lisdexamfetamine and d-amphetamine are not dialyzable.
[L48280]
The exact mode of therapeutic action of lisdexamfetamine in ADHD and BED has not been fully elucidated; however, the clinical effects of lisdexamfetamine are believed to be linked to the pharmacological actions of dextroamphetamine.[A40243][L48280]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[A40246][L48285]
Following single-dose oral administration of lisdexamfetamine in pediatric patients with ADHD under fasted conditions, Tmax of lisdexamfetamine and dextroamphetamine was reached at approximately one hour and 3.5 hours post-dose, respectively. Weight/Dose normalized AUC and Cmax values were the same in pediatric patients as the adults. Food prolongs Tmax by approximately one hour and may decrease the exposure (Cmax and AUC) of dextroamphetamine.
[L48280]
[L48280]
[A40243]
[A40246][A40243][L48280]
Dextroamphetamine can further be metabolized to form other metabolites, such as hippuric acid.
[A261640]
Lisdexamfetamine is not metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes.
[A2231][L48280]
[L48280]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:11459929 PMID:11723224 PMID:15718104 PMID:31399635 PMID:36100653 PMID:37935376 PMID:37935377 PMID:37963465 PMID:38168118
Also functions as a receptor for various drugs and psychoactive substances, such as amphetamine and methamphetamine .
PMID:31399635 PMID:37935376 PMID:37935377
Unresponsive to classical biogenic amines, such as epinephrine and histamine and only partially activated by dopamine and serotonin .
PMID:11459929 PMID:11723224
Expressed in both the central and peripheral nervous system: TAAR1 activation regulates the activity of several neurotransmitter signaling pathways by (1) decreasing the basal firing rates of the neurons involved and by (2) lowering the sensitivity of receptors to neurotransmitters .
PMID:37935376 PMID:37935377 PMID:37963465 PMID:38168118
Ligand binding causes a conformation change that triggers signaling via guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) and modulates the activity of downstream effectors .
PMID:31399635 PMID:37935376 PMID:37963465
TAAR1 is coupled with different G(i)/G(o)-, G(s)- or G(q)/G(11) classes of G alpha proteins depending on the ligand .
PMID:31399635 PMID:37935376 PMID:37963465
CAD-binding is coupled to G(i)/G(o) G alpha proteins and mediates inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity .
PMID:37935376 PMID:37963465
T1AM- or beta-PEA-binding is coupled to G(s) G alpha proteins and mediates activation of adenylate cyclase activity .
PMID:37935376 PMID:37963465
CHA- or IAA-binding is coupled to G(q)/G(11) G alpha proteins and activates phospholipase C-beta, releasing diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) second messengers .
PMID:37935376 PMID:37963465
TMA-binding is coupled with all three G(i)/G(o)-, G(s)- or G(q)/G(11) G alpha protein subtypes .
PMID:37935376 PMID:37963465
Amphetamine-binding is coupled with G(s)- or G(12)/G(13) G alpha protein subtypes PMID:31399635
Proteins that transport this drug across cell membranes
PMID:15521010 PMID:18367661 PMID:19685173 PMID:26320580 PMID:7896779 PMID:8914574 PMID:9835627
Primarily responsible for the absorption of dietary di- and tripeptides from the small intestinal lumen (By similarity). Mediates transepithelial transport of muramyl and N-formylated bacterial dipeptides contributing to recognition of pathogenic bacteria by the mucosal immune system PMID:15521010 PMID:9835627
ATC N06BA12
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Show
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Lisdexamfetamine
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
20437
ChemSpider
9772458
ZINC
ZINC000011680943
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:17734
GenAtlas
TAAR1
GeneCards
TAAR1
GenBank Gene Database
AF380185
GenBank Protein Database
14600074
Guide to Pharmacology
364
UniProt Accession
TAAR1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10920
GenAtlas
SLC15A1
GeneCards
SLC15A1
GenBank Gene Database
U13173
GenBank Protein Database
773588
Guide to Pharmacology
984
UniProt Accession
S15A1_HUMAN
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite:
- DrugBank 6.02024Recommended citationKnox C., Wilson M., Klinger C.M., et alDrugBank 6.0: the DrugBank Knowledgebase for 2024Nucleic Acids Res. 2024 Jan 552(D1):D1265-D1275
- DrugBank 5.02018Wishart D.S., Feunang Y.D., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank 5.0: a major update to the DrugBank database for 2018Nucleic Acids Res. 2017 Nov 846(D1):D1074-D1082
- DrugBank 4.02014Law V., Knox C., Djoumbou Y., et alDrugBank 4.0: shedding new light on drug metabolismNucleic Acids Res. 2014 Jan 142(1):D1091-7
- DrugBank 3.02011Knox C., Law V., Jewison T., et alDrugBank 3.0: a comprehensive resource for 'omics' research on drugsNucleic Acids Res. 2011 Jan39(Database issue):D1035-41
- DrugBank 2.02008Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a knowledgebase for drugs, drug actions and drug targets.Nucleic Acids Research2008 Jan36(Database issue):D901-6
- DrugBank 1.02006Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a comprehensive resource for in silico drug discovery and exploration.Nucleic Acids Research2006 Jan 134(Database issue):D668-72