A new pill improved symptoms in two trials of type 1 narcolepsy

Twice-daily oveporexton improved symptoms of type 1 narcolepsy in two phase 3 trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine on October 28, NEJM Clinician reported. The drug is an oral agonist aimed at orexin receptor 2. Type 1 narcolepsy is tied to the loss of orexin-producing neurons and brings overwhelming daytime sleepiness plus cataplexy, a brief loss of muscle tone set off by emotion.

The industry-sponsored trials enrolled 273 adults, ages 18 to 70, who had at least four cataplexy episodes a week. They had been off other narcolepsy drugs for at least two weeks. For 12 weeks they received placebo or oveporexton at 1 milligram or 2 milligrams twice a day. Sleepiness and cataplexy improved on the drug compared with placebo. That is a 12-week result in selected adults, not a cure, and not a finding about every person with the condition.