Concerta - page 2

      "Various measures of assessment were used to observe the effects of Concerta including the SKAMP rating scale, which demonstrated an improvement in behavior 12 hours into a child's day," said James M. Swanson, Ph.D., director of the Child Development Center and professor of Pediatrics and Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, who presented these findings in an oral presentation at AACAP. "We are extremely encouraged by the potential role of Concerta™ in the treatment of ADD/ADHD."

      Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by symptoms of inappropriate inattention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. ADD/ADHD represents the most common psychiatric disorder in children; according to the American Psychiatric Association, the disorder affects approximately 3 percent to 5 percent of the school-age population. In a limited number of patients, the symptoms of ADD/ADHD persist into adulthood. Males are three to five times more likely than females to be diagnosed with ADD/ADHD.

      In clinical trials, the most common treatment-related side effect reported by patients taking Concerta was headache (11 percent). Other side effects included stomach pain (8 percent), vomiting (3 percent), cough (3 percent), sleeplessness (2 percent) and dizziness (2 percent). Chronic abusive use of methylphenidate can lead to marked tolerance and psychological dependence with varying degrees of abnormal behavior.

      Crescendo Pharmaceuticals Corporation was formed by ALZA for the purpose of selecting and developing human pharmaceutical products for commercialization, most likely through licensing to ALZA. Under agreements between ALZA and Crescendo, ALZA will undertake the development of products for Crescendo. ALZA has the option to license each Crescendo product, and an option to purchase all the Crescendo Class A common stock at a price set according to a predetermined formula.

      ALZA Corporation, headquartered in Mountain View, California, is a research-based pharmaceutical company with leading drug delivery technologies. The company applies its delivery technologies to develop pharmaceutical products with enhanced therapeutic value for its own portfolio and for many of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. ALZA's sales and marketing efforts are currently focused in urology and oncology.