ABVC BioPharma Emphasizes Safety Profile of Plant-Based ADHD Candidate Amid Polypharmacy Concerns

ABVC BioPharma addressed recent public discussions surrounding attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder treatment in the United States as reports raise concerns regarding the increasing trend of psychiatric polypharmacy. The company reaffirmed the differentiated safety-focused approach of its plant-based ADHD drug candidate, ABV-1505, which has demonstrated a favorable tolerability profile in early clinical in-house studies with no drug-related serious adverse events reported to date. Recently, The Wall Street Journal has highlighted this growing concern, referencing multiple anecdotal accounts from individuals who began ADHD medication at a young age and ultimately received numerous additional psychiatric drug prescriptions over time.

These media-reported stories underscore the public's increasing awareness of the potential long-term medication burden associated with conventional stimulant therapies and the need for safer therapeutic alternatives. A recent national conversation, including analyses published by major U.S. media outlets, has drawn attention to an emerging issue where children and adolescents starting with ADHD medications are more likely than the general population to later receive additional psychiatric drug prescriptions. This raises important questions about long-term treatment strategies, safety, and the need for alternative therapeutic approaches that minimize downstream medication burden.

ABVC's ADHD program centers on ABV-1505, a botanical extract derived from Polygala tenuifolia. Unlike traditional stimulant or amphetamine-based therapies, ABV-1505 is plant-based, non-stimulant, not shown to cause addiction or dependency, and has not shown drug-related serious adverse events in clinical studies. The candidate is designed to potentially reduce the likelihood of escalating to multi-drug psychiatric regimens. Additionally, ABV-1505 has completed a Phase II clinical trial at the University of California, San Francisco, which showed statistically significant improvement on ADHD rating scales compared with placebo, and the treatment was well tolerated with no serious safety concerns observed.

Growing concerns about long-term psychiatric medication burden highlight the need for safer, non-stimulant, and non-habit-forming ADHD treatment options. The plant-based candidate ABV-1505 is being developed precisely with this purpose, to explore whether an effective treatment can also offer a cleaner and safer tolerability profile. While more research is required, the clinical findings to date are encouraging. Many families are searching for therapies that can help manage ADHD symptoms without increasing the risk of additional psychiatric medications later in life. The company believes ABV-1505 represents a meaningful step toward expanding the treatment toolbox available to patients and healthcare providers.

The media has been focusing on a theory that children and adolescents who take ADHD medications are more likely than the general population to later receive additional psychiatric drug prescriptions. This discussion has been amplified by various reports, including those from CNN and other media outlets that have examined ADHD treatment patterns and outcomes. The company is preparing the next phase of clinical development in collaboration with global partners as it seeks to address what it views as an unmet clinical and social need in ADHD treatment.