The News
Research finds drug to help insomniacs
By The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 01/28/2007 10:57:04 PM MST

Washington - Researchers studying narcolepsy - a disease that causes people to suddenly drop off to sleep - are trying to turn what they have learned into a new way to help insomniacs get some shut-eye.
They found that blocking brain receptors for orexin, a blood peptide, promoted sleep in rats, dogs and people, according to a paper in Sunday's online issue of Nature Medicine.
Orexin, also known as hypocretin, is important in maintaining wakefulness. It is absent in the brains of people who suffer from narcolepsy, a chronic disorder in which people cannot regulate sleep-wake cycles normally. It is estimated to affect more than 135,000 people in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The research team, led by Francois Jenck of the Swiss drug company Actelion Pharmaceuticals, reasoned that they might be able to induce sleep if they could block orexin.
They developed a drug that can block the receptors in the brain that respond to orexin- hypocretin. The researchers reported successful testing in rodents, dogs and men.

The Research
Read the research behind this story in the journal Nature Medicine