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In “Treating chronic insomnia: An alternating medication strategy” (Current Psychiatry, October 2023, p. 25-31, doi:10.12788/cp.0397), Dr. Kaplan correctly identified tolerance and tachyphylaxis as significant problems when prescribing traditional hypnotics, and proposed a solution of using 2 sleep medications, each having a different mechanism of action, on an alternating schedule. However, with the availability of the dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) daridorexant, lemborexant, and suvorexant, this approach is unnecessary. Moreover, the mechanism of action of orexin receptor antagonism directly addresses extant hyperarousal by decreasing wake signaling, without any deleterious effect on sleep architecture.1 Additionally, the DORAs are not associated with physiological dependence, withdrawal, or rebound. Their efficacy profile is as good as or better than other FDA-approved agents for insomnia disorder.1 An obstacle to their use is that they are not yet available as generic products, but access is facilitated by the manufacturers’ patient assistance programs. Additional resources elaborate on indirect comparisons among agents using number needed to treat and number needed to harm, metrics that are helpful when clinically appraising new agents.2-5

Leslie Citrome, MD, MPH
Valhalla, New York

 

 

 

References

1. Rosenberg R, Citrome L, Drake CL. Advances in the treatment of chronic insomnia: a narrative review of new nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2021;17:2549-2566.

2. Citrome L. Dissecting clinical trials with ‘number needed to treat.’ Current Psychiatry. 2007;6(3):66-71.

3. Citrome L. Suvorexant for insomnia: a systematic review of the efficacy and safety profile for this newly approved hypnotic - what is the number needed to treat, number needed to harm and likelihood to be helped or harmed? Int J Clin Pract. 2014;68(12):1429-1441.

4. Citrome L, Juday TR, Frech F, et al. Lemborexant for the treatment of insomnia: direct and indirect comparisons with other hypnotics using number needed to treat, number needed to harm, and likelihood to be helped or harmed. J Clin Psychiatry. 2021;82:20m13795. doi:10.4088/JCP.20m13795

5. Citrome L, Juday TR, Lundwall C. Lemborexant and daridorexant for the treatment of insomnia: an indirect comparison using number needed to treat, number needed to harm, and likelihood to be helped or harmed. J Clin Psychiatry. 2023;84(6):23m14851. doi:10.4088/JCP.23m14851

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Dr. Citrome is a consultant for AbbVie/Allergan, Acadia, Adamas, Alkermes, Angelini, Astellas, Avanir, Axsome, BioXcel, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cadent Therapeutics, Cerevel, Clinilabs, COMPASS, Eisai, Enteris BioPharma, HLS Therapeutics, Idorsia, Impel, INmune Bio, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Janssen, Karuna, Lundbeck, Lyndra, Medavante-ProPhase, Marvin, Merck, Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma, Neurelis, Neurocrine, Novartis, Noven, Otsuka, Ovid, Praxis, Recordati, Relmada, Reviva, Sage, Sunovion, Supernus, Teva, the University of Arizona, and Vanda, and has done one-off ad hoc consulting for individuals/entities conducting marketing, commercial, or scientific scoping research. He is a speaker for AbbVie/Allergan, Acadia, Alkermes, Angelini, Axsome, BioXcel, Eisai, Idorsia, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Janssen, Lundbeck, Neurocrine, Noven, Otsuka, Recordati, Sage, Sunovion, Takeda, Teva, and CME activities organized by medical education companies such as Medscape, NACCME, NEI, Vindico, universities, and professional organizations/societies.

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Dr. Citrome is a consultant for AbbVie/Allergan, Acadia, Adamas, Alkermes, Angelini, Astellas, Avanir, Axsome, BioXcel, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cadent Therapeutics, Cerevel, Clinilabs, COMPASS, Eisai, Enteris BioPharma, HLS Therapeutics, Idorsia, Impel, INmune Bio, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Janssen, Karuna, Lundbeck, Lyndra, Medavante-ProPhase, Marvin, Merck, Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma, Neurelis, Neurocrine, Novartis, Noven, Otsuka, Ovid, Praxis, Recordati, Relmada, Reviva, Sage, Sunovion, Supernus, Teva, the University of Arizona, and Vanda, and has done one-off ad hoc consulting for individuals/entities conducting marketing, commercial, or scientific scoping research. He is a speaker for AbbVie/Allergan, Acadia, Alkermes, Angelini, Axsome, BioXcel, Eisai, Idorsia, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Janssen, Lundbeck, Neurocrine, Noven, Otsuka, Recordati, Sage, Sunovion, Takeda, Teva, and CME activities organized by medical education companies such as Medscape, NACCME, NEI, Vindico, universities, and professional organizations/societies.

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Dr. Citrome is a consultant for AbbVie/Allergan, Acadia, Adamas, Alkermes, Angelini, Astellas, Avanir, Axsome, BioXcel, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cadent Therapeutics, Cerevel, Clinilabs, COMPASS, Eisai, Enteris BioPharma, HLS Therapeutics, Idorsia, Impel, INmune Bio, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Janssen, Karuna, Lundbeck, Lyndra, Medavante-ProPhase, Marvin, Merck, Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma, Neurelis, Neurocrine, Novartis, Noven, Otsuka, Ovid, Praxis, Recordati, Relmada, Reviva, Sage, Sunovion, Supernus, Teva, the University of Arizona, and Vanda, and has done one-off ad hoc consulting for individuals/entities conducting marketing, commercial, or scientific scoping research. He is a speaker for AbbVie/Allergan, Acadia, Alkermes, Angelini, Axsome, BioXcel, Eisai, Idorsia, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Janssen, Lundbeck, Neurocrine, Noven, Otsuka, Recordati, Sage, Sunovion, Takeda, Teva, and CME activities organized by medical education companies such as Medscape, NACCME, NEI, Vindico, universities, and professional organizations/societies.

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In “Treating chronic insomnia: An alternating medication strategy” (Current Psychiatry, October 2023, p. 25-31, doi:10.12788/cp.0397), Dr. Kaplan correctly identified tolerance and tachyphylaxis as significant problems when prescribing traditional hypnotics, and proposed a solution of using 2 sleep medications, each having a different mechanism of action, on an alternating schedule. However, with the availability of the dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) daridorexant, lemborexant, and suvorexant, this approach is unnecessary. Moreover, the mechanism of action of orexin receptor antagonism directly addresses extant hyperarousal by decreasing wake signaling, without any deleterious effect on sleep architecture.1 Additionally, the DORAs are not associated with physiological dependence, withdrawal, or rebound. Their efficacy profile is as good as or better than other FDA-approved agents for insomnia disorder.1 An obstacle to their use is that they are not yet available as generic products, but access is facilitated by the manufacturers’ patient assistance programs. Additional resources elaborate on indirect comparisons among agents using number needed to treat and number needed to harm, metrics that are helpful when clinically appraising new agents.2-5

Leslie Citrome, MD, MPH
Valhalla, New York

 

 

 

In “Treating chronic insomnia: An alternating medication strategy” (Current Psychiatry, October 2023, p. 25-31, doi:10.12788/cp.0397), Dr. Kaplan correctly identified tolerance and tachyphylaxis as significant problems when prescribing traditional hypnotics, and proposed a solution of using 2 sleep medications, each having a different mechanism of action, on an alternating schedule. However, with the availability of the dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) daridorexant, lemborexant, and suvorexant, this approach is unnecessary. Moreover, the mechanism of action of orexin receptor antagonism directly addresses extant hyperarousal by decreasing wake signaling, without any deleterious effect on sleep architecture.1 Additionally, the DORAs are not associated with physiological dependence, withdrawal, or rebound. Their efficacy profile is as good as or better than other FDA-approved agents for insomnia disorder.1 An obstacle to their use is that they are not yet available as generic products, but access is facilitated by the manufacturers’ patient assistance programs. Additional resources elaborate on indirect comparisons among agents using number needed to treat and number needed to harm, metrics that are helpful when clinically appraising new agents.2-5

Leslie Citrome, MD, MPH
Valhalla, New York

 

 

 

References

1. Rosenberg R, Citrome L, Drake CL. Advances in the treatment of chronic insomnia: a narrative review of new nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2021;17:2549-2566.

2. Citrome L. Dissecting clinical trials with ‘number needed to treat.’ Current Psychiatry. 2007;6(3):66-71.

3. Citrome L. Suvorexant for insomnia: a systematic review of the efficacy and safety profile for this newly approved hypnotic - what is the number needed to treat, number needed to harm and likelihood to be helped or harmed? Int J Clin Pract. 2014;68(12):1429-1441.

4. Citrome L, Juday TR, Frech F, et al. Lemborexant for the treatment of insomnia: direct and indirect comparisons with other hypnotics using number needed to treat, number needed to harm, and likelihood to be helped or harmed. J Clin Psychiatry. 2021;82:20m13795. doi:10.4088/JCP.20m13795

5. Citrome L, Juday TR, Lundwall C. Lemborexant and daridorexant for the treatment of insomnia: an indirect comparison using number needed to treat, number needed to harm, and likelihood to be helped or harmed. J Clin Psychiatry. 2023;84(6):23m14851. doi:10.4088/JCP.23m14851

References

1. Rosenberg R, Citrome L, Drake CL. Advances in the treatment of chronic insomnia: a narrative review of new nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2021;17:2549-2566.

2. Citrome L. Dissecting clinical trials with ‘number needed to treat.’ Current Psychiatry. 2007;6(3):66-71.

3. Citrome L. Suvorexant for insomnia: a systematic review of the efficacy and safety profile for this newly approved hypnotic - what is the number needed to treat, number needed to harm and likelihood to be helped or harmed? Int J Clin Pract. 2014;68(12):1429-1441.

4. Citrome L, Juday TR, Frech F, et al. Lemborexant for the treatment of insomnia: direct and indirect comparisons with other hypnotics using number needed to treat, number needed to harm, and likelihood to be helped or harmed. J Clin Psychiatry. 2021;82:20m13795. doi:10.4088/JCP.20m13795

5. Citrome L, Juday TR, Lundwall C. Lemborexant and daridorexant for the treatment of insomnia: an indirect comparison using number needed to treat, number needed to harm, and likelihood to be helped or harmed. J Clin Psychiatry. 2023;84(6):23m14851. doi:10.4088/JCP.23m14851

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