Nanjing pharma company develops anti-insomnia drug

Hong Kong-listed, Nanjing, Jiangsu province-based Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Ltd announced on Monday that Quviviq, an anti-insomnia drug developed in collaboration with the Swiss company, Idorsia, has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration to treat insomnia in adult patients.

The approval of the new generation medicine in China was primarily based on a multi-center Phase III registration clinical trial and Idorsia's global clinical data. The Phase III clinical study in China was led by professor Wang Yuping from Beijing-based Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University.

Clinical studies conducted overseas and in China demonstrated that the tablets exhibit efficacy in improving latency to persistent sleep, wake after sleep onset and self-reported total sleep time, sleep quality and daytime functioning in adult patients suffering from insomnia.

"This therapy is the first to achieve dual breakthroughs in improving nighttime sleep and enhancing daytime functioning. It is poised to bridge the gap for long-term safe insomnia management, heralding the end of an era dominated by dependency and residual effects associated with traditional hypnotics," said Wang.

Ren Jinsheng, chairman and CEO of Simcere Pharmaceutical, said, "Quviviq represents a groundbreaking innovation in global sleep medicine. We look forward to bringing this globally recognized therapy to a great number of patients with insomnia, offering a more effective and safer option."

According to the latest figures released by the Chinese Sleep Research Society in March, nearly half of Chinese adults experienced sleep disturbances, with higher prevalence among women and increasing rates with age. Primary symptoms included difficulty in falling asleep, nighttime awakenings and early morning awakenings.