The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved oveporexton (ORZEYFUL) for adults with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1), making it the first approved treatment designed to address the underlying orexin deficiency associated with the condition. NT1 is a rare, chronic neurological disorder characterised by loss of orexin signalling. It can cause excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy,…
Category: Sleep
Alixorexton improves wakefulness in narcolepsy type 2 phase 2 study
Alkermes has reported positive detailed results from the phase 2 Vibrance-2 study of alixorexton in adults with narcolepsy type 2, showing significant improvements in wakefulness and excessive daytime sleepiness compared with placebo. The findings, presented at SLEEP 2026 in Baltimore, mark the first large phase 2 study of an orexin 2 receptor agonist to demonstrate…
Study links disrupted sleep patterns to brain inflammation linked to dementia risk
Researchers at Texas A&M University are investigating how disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms may contribute to the development of dementia, with new work focusing on the role of brain immune cells and inflammation. One of the funded studies led by Karienn Souza, PhD, at the Texas A&M University College of Medicine. Her research examines how…
MHRA strengthens addiction warnings for Z-drugs and other CNS depressants
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has issued strengthened warnings about the risks of addiction, dependence, tolerance and withdrawal associated with several classes of central nervous system depressant medicines, following a safety review by the Commission on Human Medicines. The review focused on three distinct medicine classes that act on the central nervous…
Nyxoah’s Genio sleep apnoea implant gains FDA approval
Nyxoah has gained FDA approval for its Genio system, an implant for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea, that offers a promising alternative to CPAP. The bilateral hypoglossal nerve-stimulating implant is powered externally (battery-free), smartphone-controlled, and delivered robust outcomes in its pivotal trial: a median reduction in the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) of ~71%, with 82% of patients…
Brain changes seen years before Parkinson’s symptoms in sleep disorder patients
New research from The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research reveals that brain imaging can detect subtle abnormalities in brain circuitry in people diagnosed with isolated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD) years before they manifest symptoms of a degenerative brain disorder. While involuntary movements are normally inhibited during REM sleep, individuals with iRBD…
Tirzepatide in obstructive sleep apnoea
Lilly’s Zepbound wins 2nd approval Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide-based drug Zepbound has received FDA approval for the treatment of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in adults with obesity. This is the first prescription medication cleared for this dual indication, marking the second approval for Zepbound following its 2023 authorisation for obesity. Tirzepatide, the active…
Sleep apnoea linked to changes in the brain
18 December 2024: People with breathing problems during sleep may have a larger hippocampus, according to a study published in the December 18, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study, which included mostly Latino people, also found that those with lower oxygen levels during sleep had changes in…
Epilepsy drug may treat obstructive sleep apnoea
10 September 2024: Patients taking sulthiame (brand name Ospolot), a drug currently in use for epilepsy, experienced a reduction in their symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) according to results of a clinical trial presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Vienna Austria [1]. Patients with OSA often snore loudly, their breathing starts…
The British Society of Pharmacy Sleep Services launched
12th July 2021 saw the launch of the British Society of Pharmacy Sleep Services (BSPSS) bspss.org The Society will support through education, community pharmacists’ knowledge and understanding of various sleep disorders, to ensure that patients receive timely and appropriate advice and are signposted to other healthcare professionals where necessary. The BSPSS is undertaking research bspss.org…
