[Particularities and problems of psychopharmacology in childhood and adolescence]

The drug treatment of mental illness in childhood and adolescence poses a particular clinical and legal challenge. Reasons for this include the often necessary off-label use and existing knowledge gaps regarding the long-term effects of the neuro-/psychotropic drugs used. In this article, the prerequisites for therapy with neuro/psychotropic drugs, such as the need for age-appropriate inclusion of children and adolescents in the decision-making and education process, as well as the evaluation of medication, the consideration of biological age- and maturation-related factors, and the special measures for off-label use, are discussed. We further discuss general problems in the development and use of neuro-/psychotropic drugs, such as the difficulties in relation to proof of effectiveness, reimbursement and liability issues of off-label administration, and the problems of conducting clinical trials with children and adolescents.

[The new German drug market law AMNOG from a child and adolescent psychiatry perspective]

BACKGROUND

The European Union (EU) regulation 1901/2006 plus the implementation of pediatric investigational plans by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have contributed to more clinical studies in pediatric psychopharmacology. A new drug market law (AMNOG) has been in force in Germany since 2011 that requires an additional process of assessment of benefits of newly authorized medications by the Federal Joint Committee (Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, G‑BA), which also holds for medications licensed for pediatric populations.

OBJECTIVES

Summary of early assessments of benefits for newly registered compounds in the treatment of psychiatric disorders and critical discussion from the perspective of child and adolescent psychiatry.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Application and critical review of documents and written statements by various institutions and stakeholders related to assessment procedures and respective decisions by the G‑BA for these medications.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Clearly differing requirements for study designs and outcome parameters characterize the conditions for market authorization and for the assessment of benefits. Further adjustments to the regulations in implementing the AMNOG appear to be essential, integrating agencies involved so far, complimented by expertise from regulatory agencies and medical scientific societies.

Therapeutic drug monitoring as a measure of proactive pharmacovigilance in child and adolescent psychiatry

INTRODUCTION

Off-label or unlicensed use of psychotropic drugs is common rather than the exception in child and adolescent psychiatry. This use exposes patients to an unknown additional risk of ineffective or even harmful treatment. In addition, treatment with psychotropic drugs during a period of life when the patient undergoes marked developmental hormonal and neurobiological changes often requires different dosing regimes in later life and may result in adverse drug reactions, which are either not seen in adults at all or not in the same frequency. Areas covered: Given these critical safety issues, efficient pharmacovigilance methods as part of routine practice are essential for the improvement of patient care. The purpose of this article is to introduce methods to increase the safety of psychotropic drug use in youngsters. In particular, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) as a routine measure of proactive pharmacovigilance is discussed. Expert opinion: Given the special features of psychopharmacological therapy in children and adolescents in day-to-day clinical practise, proactive surveillance by using a close standardized 'patient monitoring' and long-term follow-up with TDM is very important. This approach could minimize the risk of exposing paediatric patients to ineffective treatments of uncertain or unknown risks.

Unmet needs in paediatric psychopharmacology: Present scenario and future perspectives

Paediatric psychopharmacology holds great promise in two equally important areas of enormous biomedical and social impact, namely the treatment of behavioural abnormalities in children and adolescents, and the prevention of psychiatric disorders with adolescent- or adult-onset. Yet, in striking contrast, pharmacological treatment options presently available in child and adolescent psychiatry are dramatically limited. The most important currently unmet needs in paediatric psychopharmacology are: the frequent off-label prescription of medications to children and adolescents based exclusively on data from randomized controlled studies involving adult patients; the frequent lack of age-specific dose, long-term efficacy and tolerability/safety data; the lack of effective medications for many paediatric psychiatric disorders, most critically autism spectrum disorder; the scarcity and limitations of randomized placebo-controlled trials in paediatric psychopharmacology; the unexplored potential for the prevention of psychiatric disorders with adolescent- and adult-onset; the current lack of biomarkers to predict treatment response and severe adverse effects; the need for better preclinical data to foster the successful development of novel drug therapies; and the effective dissemination of evidence-based treatments to the general public, to better inform patients and families of the benefits and risks of pharmacological interventions during development. Priorities and strategies are proposed to overcome some of these limitations, including the European Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychopharmacology Network, as an overarching Pan-European infrastructure aimed at reliably carrying out much needed psychopharmacological trials in children and adolescents, in order to fill the identified gaps and improve overall outcomes.