Jennifer Gudeman, PharmD, Vice President of Medical and Clinical Affairs at Avadel Pharmaceuticals, discusses the American Association of Sleep Medicine’s (AASM) updated clinical practice guidelines for narcolepsy.
Narcolepsy is a rare neurological disorder characterized by excessive sleepiness during the day, often with periods of brief involuntary sleep and/or cataplexy. There are two subtypes of narcolepsy: type 1 in which the patient experiences episodes of cataplexy and type 2 in which the patient does not experience cataplexy.
As Dr. Gudeman explains, the new AASM guidelines provide guidance for clinicians treating narcolepsy and other hypersomnias. Included in these guidelines are treatment recommendations. The AASM strongly recommends the 4 following drugs for the treatment of adult narcolepsy patients: modafinil, pitolisant, sodium oxybate, and solriamfetol. Sometimes antidepressants are used off-label to treat narcolepsy; however, the AASM does not mention these in their guidelines.
To learn more about narcolepsy and other rare neurological conditions, go to checkrare.com/diseases/neurology