Quiet nights: first anti-snoring pill

There may be no anti-snoring herb – a newly developed pill could help. A US pharmaceutical company combined two already known drugs in one capsule, which in the first tests guaranteed a true night’s sleep

What is known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is behind snoring. This is triggered by completely loosened muscles in the trachea and is characterized by the narrowing of the airways. The result is loud snoring tones and sometimes even a brief pause in breathing.

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The recently developed pill by the Apnimed company – now codenamed AD109 – contains two active ingredients. One is atomoxetine, which has been prescribed for hyperactivity disorders in children for 20 years. It increases the level of norepinephrine in the brain, which leads to better concentration. In the neck area, atomoxetine stimulates motor neurons that keep the muscles of the trachea in shape and prevent them from collapsing. The second drug, oxybutynin, is usually prescribed to people with bladder control problems. In the neck area it acts on the function of controlling the muscle contraction of the tongue.

The drug combination reduced OSA symptoms by up to 74% in an initial series of 20 snorers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. This dramatically reduced snoring noises in all people tested after just one pill, and in most cases even turned them off. Now a large-scale clinical trial should pave the way for the market launch of “AD109” shortly.