This project establishes a rigorous computational and mathematical framework to simulate, compare, and plot the pharmacokinetics of two primary ADHD stimulant medications: immediate-release dextroamfetamine sulphate and its prodrug counterpart, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate.
This project is a work in progress. Further workbooks and charts will be added as it develops.
While both drugs share a high success rate (70–80%) in managing ADHD symptoms by increasing synaptic dopamine and norepinephrine, they exhibit vastly different delivery profiles.
| Property | Dextroamfetamine sulphate | Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Immediate-release | Inactive prodrug |
| Absorption | Absorbed directly | Requires rate-limited enzymatic cleavage by red blood cells |
| Concentration profile | Rapid peaks and sharp concentration “crashes” | Smoother, extended-release profile |
To model these dynamics across a three-part workbook series, the project moves away from simplified arithmetic to capture concurrent biological processes through a coupled system of linear ordinary differential equations (ODEs).
Ultimately, this study bridges theoretical pharmacology and software engineering. It creates a predictive simulation tool that visually demonstrates how structural chemical variances dictate real-world drug metabolism, therapeutic coverage, and side-effect profiles.