Unmet needs of patients with narcolepsy: perspectives on emerging treatment options

Abstract

Dariusz R Wozniak, Timothy G Quinnell Respiratory Support and Sleep Centre, Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK Abstract: The treatment options currently available for narcolepsy are often unsatisfactory due to suboptimal efficacy, troublesome side effects, development of drug tolerance, and inconvenience. Our understanding of the neurobiology of narcolepsy has greatly improved over the last decade. This knowledge has not yet translated into additional therapeutic options for patients, but progress is being made. Some compounds, such as histaminergic H3 receptor antagonists, may prove useful in symptom control of narcolepsy. The prospect of finding a cure still seems distant, but hypocretin replacement therapy offers some promise. In this narrative review, we describe these developments and others which may yield more effective narcolepsy treatments in the future. Keywords: cataplexy, hypocretin, H3 antagonist, GABA-B agonists, immunotherapy