OT - New sleeping pill claimed to boost memory, curb over-eating and prevent addiction

[Guest guest]

Another market being created for a drug....

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,,1703208,00.html

New sleeping pill claimed to boost memory, curb over-eating and prevent

addiction

Alok Jha, science correspondent

Monday February 6, 2006

The Guardian

A drug that could help people get a better night's sleep while improving

their memory is being tested by scientists. Experts say the formula may also

curb over-eating and prevent addiction - although so far it has only been

tested on rats.

Almost a third of the population suffers from insomnia, but only 10% of

those take any medication. Pharmaceutical companies have long been searching

for the perfect sleeping pill to try to attract their custom.

According to Chemistry and Industry magazine, the company Actelion has

developed a pill that not only induces sleep but also increases the dreaming

phase, consolidating memory at the same time. Because the drug acts on the

orexin hormone system, experts say it may also have an effect on appetite.

Orexin, a hormone discovered in 1998, is known to control eating and help

regulate sleep. Malfunctions in this system can cause narcolepsy, a

condition where people fall asleep uncontrollably.

Actelion's candidate drug orexin-RA-1 is said to block the orexin system. In

laboratory experiments rats given the drug slept soundly and performed

better in maze tests the next day, suggesting that their memory had

improved. Measurements of brain activity during the sleep trials showed an

increase in the dreaming parts of sleep, known as rapid eye movement (Rem)

sleep, when brain activity is almost as intense as during waking hours.

" The dream phase is when memory is hardwired in the brain, " Jean-

Clozel, the chief executive of Actelion, told Chemistry and Industry. He

said traditional sleeping pills reduced Rem sleep, causing users to wake up

tired and groggy.

Shahrad Taheri, a lecturer in medicine at the University of Bristol and one

of the first people to experiment on orexin, said a drug acting on this

system may have other beneficial effects. " Over-eating is associated with

obesity, and orexin is thought to be involved in feeding regulation, " he

said. " Blocking the orexin system could also help the person to eat less. "

The fact that narcoleptics are resistant to amphetamine addiction also

suggests an application in preventing addiction.

But there could be downsides with targeting the hormone. People with

narcolepsy suffer episodes of muscle weakness that can range from a barely

perceptible slackening of the jaw muscles to complete collapse, and it is

possible that the drug could spark similar problems. There are also

questions about whether a small increase in Rem sleep would actually make

any difference, said Dr Taheri.

Orexin-RA-1 is now in the second phase of clinical trials, which means it

will be tested on people before being licensed for sale to the public. Mr

Clozel said that the drug could be on the market by 2012.

According to its manufacturers, the new drug shows no signs of being

addictive or losing its effect over time - unlike existing sleeping pills.

Other pharmaceutical companies are also targeting the orexin system, but

their drugs have not yet reached the clinical trials.