New daily ‘Ozempic for the brain’ pill could tackle sleep disorders, ADHD and depression

A NEW twice-daily pill could help tackle sleep disorders, ADHD and depression, scientists say, and it could soon be available in the UK. The pill is the first medicine made to treat narcolepsy, a rare brain condition that can prevent people from choosing when to sleep or wake up. A new twice-daily pill could help tackle sleep disorders, ADHD and depression, according to scientists Credit: Alamy Orzeyful (oveporexton) is manufactured by Takeda and has been approved for narcolepsy in the US and Japan Credit: Takeda Called Oveporexton, the drug has been approved in the US and Japan and is currently being assessed for use in the UK, with a decision expected to be reached by April 2027. Speaking about the new pill, Guy Leschziner, a professor of neurology and sleep medicine and a consultant neurologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, said: “This drug is the first agent to come to market, and trial data [is] extremely encouraging. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! “It is potentially very exciting for those who experience this debilitating neurological disorder, and we look forward to having access to it in the UK.” Scientists have suggested, however, that the pill could help with far more than narcolepsy. Oveporexton is designed to boost levels of a peptide called orexin – a brain chemical that helps regulate wakefulness, alertness and the transition between sleep and wake states, the Sleep Foundations says. And it is hoped that orexin-boosting medicine, like Oveporexton, could also help with ADHD and sleep apnoea, a condition that makes people briefly stop breathing during sleep. What’s more, orexin is also needed for attention, reward processing and motivation, so researchers hope drugs containing the chemical could also be used for treating depression and addiction. In this sense, the drug is not dissimilar to GLP-1s like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, hence its nickname ‘Ozempic for the brain’. Most read in Health Fat jabs were created to help people lose weight and manage diabetes, but scientists have since found that the injections help with a handful of other issues, including heart health and kidney disease. So, here’s what you need to know about this new pill. Oveporexton is the first – and only – drug created to target the root cause of narcolepsy, rather than just symptoms, and it works by increasing orexin production in the body. The conditin is often caused by a lack of the brain chemical hypocretin (also known as orexin) – the chemical used in Oveporexton. Speaking about the new pill, Mr Leschziner told The Daily Mail that a drug able to replace or stimulate orexin in the brain has been regarded as the holy grail of narcolepsy treatment for years. In people with narcolepsy, their brain is unable to regulate sleeping and waking patterns normally, the NHS explains. It is thought that narcolepsy affects around 30,000 people in the UK Credit: Getty – Contributor What to know about narcolepsy Narcolepsy is a rare long-term brain condition that can prevent a person from choosing when to wake or sleep. The brain is unable to regulate sleeping and waking patterns normally, which can result in: excessive daytime sleepiness – feeling very drowsy throughout the day and finding it difficult to concentrate and stay awake sleep attacks – falling asleep suddenly and without warning cataplexy – temporary loss of muscle control resulting in weakness and possible collapse, often in response to emotions such as laughter and anger sleep paralysis – a temporary inability to move or speak when waking up or falling asleep excessive dreaming and waking in the night – dreams often come as you fall asleep (hypnogogic hallucinations) or just before or during waking (hypnopompic hallucinations) Narcolepsy does not cause serious or long-term physical health problems, but it can have a significant impact on daily life and be difficult to cope with emotionally. In an attempt to avoid attacks, some people may become emotionally withdrawn and socially isolated. Narcolepsy is often caused by a lack of the brain chemical hypocretin (also known as orexin), which regulates wakefulness. The lack of hypocretin is thought to be caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the cells that produce it or the receptors that allow it to work. Treating narcolepsy There’s currently no cure for narcolepsy, but making changes to improve your sleeping habits and taking medicine can help minimise the impact the condition has on your daily life. Taking frequent, brief naps evenly spaced throughout the day is one of the best ways to manage excessive daytime drowsiness. This may be difficult when you’re at work or school, but a GP or specialist may be able to devise a sleep schedule that will help you get into a routine of taking naps. Keeping to a strict bedtime routine can also help, so you should go to bed at the same time each night whenever possible. If your symptoms are particularly troublesome, you may be prescribed medicine that can help reduce daytime sleepiness, prevent cataplexy attacks and improve your sleep at night. Source: NHS This can result in feeling very drowsy throughout the day and struggling to concentrate or stay awake, falling asleep suddenly and without warning and experiencing sleep paralysis – temporary inability to move or speak when waking up or falling asleep. Other symptoms include excessive dreaming, waking up in the night and cataplexy, where people temporarily lose control of their muscles, resulting in weakness and possible collapse. It is thought to affect around 30,000 people in the UK and it first strikes most people when they are children or young adults. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the medicine for use for narcolepsy last month, followed by Japan’s approval a few weeks later. Now, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) is assessing the drug in the UK, evaluating whether it will be a cost-effective NHS treatment. It is estimated that the drug would cost £120,000 per patient every year and Nice are due to come to a decision by 2027. Oveporexton targets type-1 narcolepsy, which is the most common type of the condition and accounts for about 75 per cent of cases. This type of narcolepsy is thought to develop when the immune system attacks healthy brain cells, damaging their ability to produce orexin. To address this, the twice-daily pill stimulates the receptors on the outside of brain cells that are responsible for increasing orexin production. This boosts levels of the chemical so that sleeping and wakefulness can be controlled. According to clinical trial results released by the drug’s manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, daytime alertness improved significantly among more than 270 narcolepsy patients who took the drug twice-daily for three months. Meanwhile, cataplexy rates fell by an average of 80 per cent. The trial suggested that side-effects were mostly mild and included night-time insomnia and more frequent urination. Comment now