Takeda's Rozerem positive in older patients with insomnia

Two studies presented at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Minneapolis, USA, demonstrated that Japanese drug major Takeda's Rozerem (ramelteon) did not affect body sway at peak plasma levels, nor did it impair middle-of-the-night balance, mobility or memory performance in patients who suffer from chronic insomnia.

"These data are important because they show that Rozerem may be a safe sleep medication for the many older adults who worry about their balance when they need to get up in the middle of the night. These studies also showed that the patients' memories were not affected by Rozerem the next morning," said Gary Zammit, director of the Sleep Disorders Institute in New York.

Rozerem is said to work differently from other prescription sleep medications. It specifically targets an area of the brain believed to be involved in the regulation of the body's normal sleep-wake cycle. It is the first prescription sleep medication that is not a controlled substance, and has shown no evidence of abuse or dependence in clinical studies, Takeda notes.