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If your partner snores, you’ll likely be used to sleepless nights with a pillow placed firmly over your ears. But the days of not-so-gently nudging your partner to get them to be quiet could be a thing of the past, thanks to a new once-a-night pill. The pill, called AD109, has been developed by pharmaceutical company Apnimed as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea - a condition characterised by snoring and interrupted breathing at night.
Dr Larry Miller, CEO of Apnimed, said: “Obstructive Sleep Apnea represents a significant public health problem in the US and around the globe and current treatment options do not meet the needs of patients. “We believe that AD109, an oral drug candidate dosed once-daily at bedtime, could be a significant breakthrough for these patients.”
Current treatments for sleep apnoea include uncomfortable mouth guard-like devices, or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, which blow air through a mask you wear at night. Alternatively, some patients may be offered surgery, although this is only helpful in a handful of cases, according to the British Lung Foundation.
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Dr Miller added that AD109 gives patients a ‘simple, safe, and effective solution that does not require a CPAP device or surgery.' AD109 targets neurotransmitter levels in the central nervous system, activating upper airway muscles and maintaining an open airway during sleep. It’s taken once-daily at bedtime and can be used to treat patients with mild to severe snoring issues.
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So far, the drug has undergone a Phase I clinical trial, during which 24 healthy adult volunteers were given the drug for at least seven days. Thankfully, the results showed that the drug was well-tolerated, and there were no side effects. Apnimed now hopes to begin its Phase II trial, in which the drug will be tested on 140 patients.
