ADHD News & Research

Clinical Trial Suggests Medical Food May Reduce ADHD Symptoms

A double-blind study of adults taking Vayarin® Plus found improvement in ADHD symptoms including inattention and executive function.

By Janice Rodden

IMPORTANT NOTE: Vayarin, Vayarin Pro, and Vayacog are no longer sold in the United States.


June 5, 2018

Lipirinen® is an effective non-drug treatment for ADHD symptoms in adults — this is the finding of a small clinical trial presented at the International ADHD Congress held in March 2018 in Tel Aviv, Israel1.

Lipirinen® is VAYA Pharma’s proprietary composition of phosphatidylserine (PS), a type of fat found in the body and brain, bonded to omega-3 fatty acids enriched with Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). It is the active ingredient in Vayarin® Plus, a new product indicated for the clinical dietary management of ADHD in adults and adolescents over the age of 14. Vayarin® Plus is an extension of VAYA’s flagship product Vayarin®, a medical food for the dietary management of ADHD in children 6-13 years of age that has been available in the U.S. since 2011.

A multi-center, randomized, double-blind, sequential parallel comparison design trial compared the outcomes of 189 adults between the ages of 18 and 60 after two 8-week phases of treatment with 450mg of Vayarin® Plus or a placebo.

Clinicians assessed ADHD symptoms using the Adult ADHD Investigator Symptom Rating Scale (AISRS), the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A), and the Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S).

For the adults taking Vayarin® Plus the researchers recorded:

  • A reduction in the AISRS total score
  • A reduction in the AISRS inattentive sub-scale
  • An improvement in executive function as measured by the BRIEF-A
  • A reduction in ADHD severity as measured by the CGI-S

The presenters concluded that Vayarin® Plus may play an important role in improving ADHD symptoms – especially inattention – and executive functions in adults with ADHD.

The study was sponsored by Enzymotec, LTD, a member of the Frutarom Group that produces Vayarin® Plus.

1 Dana Atia-Glikin. et al. “Phosphatidylserine-Omega-3 Impact on ADHD symptoms in adults with ADHD.” Presented at: 2018 International ADHD Congress; March 19-21, 2018; Tel Aviv, Israel. Poster 66.

Updated on March 20, 2019

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