Of a variety of medications for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), antidepressants are the most commonly used. For many with PTSD, however, these and other treatments aren’t sufficient.
But a new answer may be on its way. A study sponsored by the Department of Defense (DOD) will test the effectiveness of Idorsia’s newly approved insomnia drug Quviviq in those with PTSD.
The link between insomnia and PTSD is well established. A study of U.S. active duty personnel from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq showed that 92% of those with PTSD reported significant levels of insomnia compared to 28% of those without PTSD.
“PTSD is bad. But if you have untreated insomnia, it can be much worse—more depression, more depressive rebound, more hospitalizations and unfortunately more suicide,” Christopher Lettieri, M.D., the senior medical director of Idorsia and a professor of medicine for the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, said in an interview with Fierce Pharma.
Treating and studying those with PTSD and sleep disorders in his 28 years in the U.S. Army, Lettieri believes more treatment options are needed.
“On average, everyone’s on three to four psychoactive medications and they just weren’t doing real well,” Lettieri said.
In addition to antidepressants, other drugs used to treat PTSD include mood stabilizers, alpha blockers and fast-acting anti-anxiety medicines that provide short-term relief by calming the nervous system. Some states have specifically approved...
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