Diego Garcia-Borreguero, MD, PhD, Sleep Research Institute, Madrid, Spain, shares an overview of the treatment landscape for restless leg syndrome (RLS). Currently, dopamine agonists are widely used for the treatment of RLS, including ropinirole, rotigotine, and pramipexole. However, pharmacological tolerance and dopamine augmentation frequently prevent their long-term use. Dr Garcia-Borreguero emphasizes the need for new therapeutic options in this space, highlighting several lines of research underway. Intravenous iron and Alpha-2-delta calcium channel ligands can be effective for RLS. Perampanel and dipyridamole are also promising non-dopaminergic agents in development. This interview […]

For many years, GABAergic agents were the only pharmacological treatments available for patients with insomnia. Benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine receptor agonists are often used to treat insomnia, demonstrating short-term benefits on sleep onset latency and duration. However, pharmacological tolerance and cognitive side effects, amongst other associated harms, prevent their use long term. More recently, dual orexin (also known as hypocretin) receptor antagonists (DORAs) have emerged as a new treatment approach for patients with insomnia. Diego Garcia-Borreguero, MD, PhD, Sleep Research Institute, Madrid, Spain, discusses the role of orexin in sleep physiology […]

Diego Garcia-Borreguero, MD, PhD, Sleep Research Institute, Madrid, Spain, talks of the implications of the positive Phase III trials of daridorexant, a novel dual orexin receptor antagonist (DORAs), for the treatment of insomnia. Two pivotal Phase III studies investigating the safety and efficacy of daridorexant at four dose levels found a significant dose-response relationship, with 50mg shown to be effective for reducing latency to persistent sleep, reducing wake after sleep onset, and improving daytime functioning. Idorsia has submitted for EMA and FDA approval for daridorexant. While two DORAs are currently […]