Clinical characteristics of a large cohort of patients with narcolepsy candidate for pitolisant: a cross-sectional study from the Italian PASS Wakix® Cohort

Exploring the emotional and behavioural profile in paediatric narcolepsy type 1: A case-control study

Narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) is a central disorder of hypersomnolence often arising in childhood and adolescence. NT1 has a significant, but poorly defined, psychological impact. We aimed to investigate the psycho-social functioning of children and adolescents with NT1. We performed a cross-sectional, child and parent-reported questionnaire survey in 37 children and adolescents (6-17 years) with NT1, compared with age- and sex-matched controls. Questionnaires (SSHS, ESS-CHAD, CDI, MASC, CBCL, CRS-R, and SNAP-IV) evaluated various aspects of behavioural and emotional profiles, sleep habits, and daytime sleepiness. Subsequently, NT1 intra-group analysis was performed to investigate the effect of sex (males vs females) and pharmacological treatment (treated vs non-treated) on psychological features. The NT1 questionnaires total scores were then correlated with the clinical characteristics (age, body mass index [BMI], ESS-CHAD score, cerebrospinal hypocretin-1 [Hcrt-1] levels, and diagnostic delay). Patients with NT1 showed a higher tendency to depressive symptoms, anxiety, somatisation, inattention, hyperactivity, oppositional/defiant problems, and other maladaptive behaviours compared with controls. Among NT1 patients, females showed a higher propensity to anxiety, and non-treated patients displayed higher depressive symptoms. Psychological symptoms increased with age, BMI, and daytime sleepiness in patients with NT1, while a younger age was associated with more frequent somatisation symptoms. Lower cerebrospinal Hcrt-1 levels correlated with poorer social competencies, daily activities, and inattention. Diagnostic delay was associated with a higher impact of depressive symptoms and behavioural problems. NT1 in children and adolescents is associated with poorer functioning in multiple psychological domains calling for a multidisciplinary approach and monitoring to reduce disease burden and to prevent psychiatric consequences.

Guidelines for the assessment and management of residual sleepiness in obstructive apnea-hypopnea syndrome: Endorsed by the French Sleep Research and Medicine Society (SFRMS) and the French Speaking Society of Respiratory Diseases (SPLF)

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is frequent among patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and can persist despite the optimal correction of respiratory events (apnea, hypopnea and respiratory efforts), using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or mandibular advancement device. Symptoms like apathy and fatigue may be mistaken for EDS. In addition, EDS has multi-factorial origin, which makes its evaluation complex. The marketing authorization [Autorisation de Mise sur le Marché (AMM)] for two wake-promoting agents (solriamfetol and pitolisant) raises several practical issues for clinicians. This consensus paper presents recommendations of good clinical practice to identify and evaluate EDS in this context, and to manage and follow-up the patients. It was conducted under the mandate of the French Societies for sleep medicine and for pneumology [Société Française de Recherche et de Médecine du Sommeil (SFRMS) and Société de Pneumologie de Langue Française (SPLF)]. A management algorithm is suggested, as well as a list of conditions during which the patient should be referred to a sleep center or a sleep specialist. The benefit/risk balance of a wake-promoting drug in residual EDS in OSAHS patients must be regularly reevaluated, especially in elderly patients with increased cardiovascular and psychiatric disorders risks. This consensus is based on the scientific knowledge at the time of the publication and may be revised according to their evolution.

Is pitolisant safe for clinical use? A retrospective pharmacovigilance study focus on the post-marketing safety

Pitolisant, a novel histamine H3-receptor antagonist, holds significant promise for treating narcolepsy. However, a petition, which highlighted that pitolisant was associated with deaths during clinical trials, has propelled it into the spotlight of widespread societal attention on April 3, 2023. Till now, the clinical safety of pitolisant remains a heatedly debated topic. This study aimed to offer a comprehensive assessment of the safety profile of pitolisant in real-world clinical settings. Adverse event reports where pitolisant was the primary suspect drug were extracted from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database. The clinical characteristics and concomitant drugs of the pitolisant-associated adverse events were analyzed. The potential adverse event signals of pitolisant were explored using four disproportionality analysis methods. Furthermore, the difference in pitolisant-associated adverse event signals was investigated concerning sex, age, weight, and dose. A total of 526 reports and 1695 adverse events with pitolisant as the primary suspected drug were identified. The most significant adverse event signals were generally mild and of short duration. The concomitant drugs of pitolisant were highly intricate, mainly included drugs for treating narcolepsy as well as antidepressants. Seven new significant adverse event signals emerged. The safety profile of pitolisant exhibited no significant differences across age and dose groups, although slight variations were observed in relation to sex and weight. The findings from reports of death and life-threatening outcomes underscore the importance of enhanced monitoring for cardiac and respiratory adverse reactions when utilizing pitolisant. This study provided a broader understanding of the safety profile of pitolisant.

Long-Term Treatment of Narcolepsy and Idiopathic Hypersomnia with Low-Sodium Oxybate

Narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia are chronic conditions that negatively affect alertness, mental and physical energy, functioning, and quality of life (QoL). Calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium oxybates (low-sodium oxybate; LXB) is an oxybate formulation with 92% less sodium than sodium oxybate (SXB; a treatment for narcolepsy) and the same active moiety. LXB is approved in the US for treatment of cataplexy or excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in patients 7 years of age or older with narcolepsy, and idiopathic hypersomnia in adults. In Phase 3 clinical trials, LXB exhibited a safety profile consistent with that of SXB in narcolepsy. Besides continued efficacy in treating symptoms, potential benefits of long-term LXB treatment include flexible optimization of dosing and regimen, improvement of QoL and functioning, weight loss, and (relative to SXB in narcolepsy) health benefits of reduced sodium content. Dosing of LXB is twice nightly (for narcolepsy) or once or twice nightly (for idiopathic hypersomnia) based on patient characteristics and response, and individualized titration can be leveraged over the long term as a patient's life circumstances change. Patients with narcolepsy transitioning from SXB initiate LXB at the same dose, and most patients require no further changes to achieve similar efficacy and tolerability. Improvements in functioning and QoL with LXB treatment could have cascading positive effects in multiple domains, particularly in younger patients. In clinical trials, LXB was associated with weight loss in both narcolepsy (in which obesity is a well-established comorbidity) and idiopathic hypersomnia, only occasionally leading participants to be underweight. As both narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia are associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic and cardiovascular comorbidities, limiting medication-related sodium intake with LXB may have significant health benefits, although this has not yet been verified prospectively due to the prolonged follow-up required. LXB is a promising long-term treatment for narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.

Safety and efficacy of pitolisant in children aged 6 years or older with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Narcolepsy is a life-long disorder characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy, often arising in childhood or adolescence. Pitolisant, a selective histamine H3 receptor inverse agonist, has been approved in Europe and USA for adults with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy, with a favourable safety profile. This phase 3 study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of pitolisant in children with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy.

METHODS

For this double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, multisite study, we recruited patients aged 6-17 years with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy in 11 sleep centres in five countries (Italy, France, Netherlands, Russia, and Finland). Participants were required to have a Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale score of 15 or greater and to have not received psychostimulants for at least 14 days before enrolment; participants who needed anticataplectics (including sodium oxybate) were required to have been on a stable dose for at least 1 month. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment with pitolisant or placebo in a 2:1 ratio at the end of screening. Randomisation was stratified by study centre and treatment was allocated using an interactive web response system. After a 4-week screening period including a 2-week baseline period, patients entered in a 4-week individual up-titration scheme from 5 mg a day to a maximum of 40 mg a day of pitolisant or placebo; treatment was administered at a stable dose for 4 weeks, followed by a 1-week placebo period. For the primary analysis, we assessed pitolisant versus placebo using change in the Ullanlinna Narcolepsy Scale (UNS) total score from baseline to the end of double-blind period in the full analysis set, defined as all randomly allocated patients who received at least one dose of treatment and who had at least one baseline UNS value. A decrease in the UNS total score reflects a reduction in both excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy. All adverse events were assessed in the safety population, defined as all participants who took at least one dose of study medication. An open-label follow-up is ongoing. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02611687.

FINDINGS

Between June 6, 2016, and April 3, 2021, we screened 115 participants and 110 were randomly assigned (mean age 12·9 [SD 3·0] years, 61 [55%] male, and 90 [82%] with cataplexy; 72 assigned to pitolisant and 38 to placebo); 107 (70 receiving pitolisant and 37 receiving placebo) completed the double-blind period. The mean adjusted difference in UNS total score from baseline to the end of the double-blind period was -6·3 (SE 1·1) in the pitolisant group and -2·6 (1·4) in the placebo group (least squares mean difference -3·7; 95% CI -6·4 to -1·0, p=0·007). Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 22 (31%) of 72 patients in the pitolisant group and 13 (34%) of 38 patients in the placebo group. The most frequently reported adverse events (affecting ≥5% of patients) in either group were headache (14 [19%] in the pitolisant group and three [8%] in the placebo group) and insomnia (five [7%] in the pitolisant group and one [3%] in the placebo group).

INTERPRETATION

Pitolisant treatment resulted in an improvement in narcolepsy symptoms in children, although the UNS was not validated for use in children with narcolepsy when our study began. The safety profile was similar to that reported in adults but further studies are needed to confirm long-term safety.

FUNDING

Bioprojet.

Dissociative episode and panic attacks triggered by pitolisant in a narcoleptic patient

Pitolisant is a histamine 3-receptor antagonist/inverse agonist effective and safe for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy in narcolepsy. We report a 19-year-old woman affected by narcolepsy type 1 who presented panic attacks and dissociative symptoms induced by pitolisant. The patient medical history was unremarkable except that for familiarity for anxiety disorder and chronic insomnia. Moreover, a detailed psychometric evaluation revealed a profile of low resilience, a severe grade of depression, an anxiety trait and a propension to dissociative symptoms. Our report suggests that caution should be used in patients with predisposing factors to psychiatric disorders, especially during the first period of treatment with pitolisant. In consideration of the high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in narcolepsy, it seems worth to carefully investigate psychiatric background of narcoleptic patients.