Pediatric drugs - Special Drugs which are Prescribed to Children and Infants for Different Diseases

Pediatric drugs are a special class of drugs which are prescribed to children and infants for different diseases.  These drugs are recommended in various conditions such as asthma, anorexia, birth defects, cancer in children, growth deficiencies, juvenile diabetes, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and others. Various acts have been passed to control pediatric drugs such as Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA) and the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA). These acts have been introduced to increase the investments on R&D for pediatric drugs and to increase the drugs count prescribed for children and infants.

Pediatric drugs are categorized in three segments namely pediatric clinical pharmacology, pediatric pharmacotherapy and pediatric pharmacy. Pediatric pharmacotherapy focuses on those drugs which will behave differently in children and adults. Pediatric clinical pharmacology includes those drugs which are helpful for mental and physical growth. Pediatric pharmacy includes all those drugs which are specifically meant for children. To treat various disease conditions different drugs are prescribed such as acetaminophen, fentanyl, ibuprofen, naloxone and methadone are given as analgesics. In addition, cefazolin, ampicillin and meropenem are prescribed to treat microbial infections whereas clonidine and etomidate are recommended for sedative effect. Various other drugs are tramadole, oxycodone, codeine, lorazepam and gabapentin.

Growing concerns globally, amongst parents has assisted the growth of this segment. Moreover, governments worldwide are funding and initiating various national programs to support use of drugs to curb infant and child mortality rates. Rise in disposable income along with awareness in people has augmented the growth of pediatric drugs in developed nations such as U.S. and Europe. In addition, rising incidence of disease conditions such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension in children have also contributed in its growth. Despite various developments, low disposable income and unawareness in developing nations are hindering the growth of this market. Moreover, side effects such as anxiety, headache and fatigue are also restricting its growth.

Some of the major market players of pediatric drug include InfaCare Inc., Medeira Therapeutics, Crucell Biologics Inc., Actelion Pharma ceuticals Ltd. and other significant players.