According to a story from Pharmaceutical Business Review, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is backing daridorexant (marketed as QUVIVIQ) as a treatment for chronic insomnia in adults. The medicine was developed by Idorsia UK. NICE issued its Final Draft Guidance for the drug as a treatment in adult insomnia patients who experience symptoms at least three nights per week for a period of a minimum of three months. These patients must report significant impacts to daily functioning.
This recommendation applies in cases when other approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is either unavailable, ineffective, or otherwise unsuitable. The guidance also clarifies that the effect of the treatment should be evaluated within three months of beginning, and NICE recommends that treatment be halted in instances where chronic insomnia has not improved.
After NICE released its final tech appraisal, QUVIVIQ, which is classified as a dual orexin receptor antagonist, will be the first therapy of this type to be prescribed on the NHS in England and Wales. The drug first secured marketing authorization in the country in August 2022. This approval followed data from a pair of phase 3 trials, which found that the medication enhanced sleep maintenance and onset, while improving daytime sleepiness.
About Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which the affected person has difficulty maintaining sleep or falling asleep. It can occur in a short-term period, lasting a few days or a couple of weeks, or it can become a chronic problem, lasting a month or more. It can arise from a number of potential causes, such as mental illness or stress, menopause, heart failure, heartburn, hyperthyroidism, the use of certain medicines, restless leg syndrome, and the use of certain drugs. Alongside trouble sleeping, insomnia can inflict additional symptoms, such as daytime sleepiness, irritability, depression, problems with focus and learning, and fatigue. Treatment interventions can include lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral therapy, and sleep-inducing medications. To learn more about insomnia, click here.
