Sleep drug

New Sleep Drug Passes Early Clinical Test

By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today

Published: November 28, 2012

Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Click the bottom right corner of the video player for full screen.

Insomniacs had statistically significant, dose-related improvement in sleep efficiency over 4 weeks when treated with a new class of sleep aid, results of a placebo-crossover trial showed.

As compared with placebo, the orexin-receptor antagonist suvorexant improved sleep efficiency ranging from 5% to 13% during the first day of treatment and from 5% to 8% after 4 weeks, according to W. Joseph Herring, MD, PhD, of Merck Sharp & Dohme in Whitehouse Station, N.J., and co-authors.