Switzerland's Idorsia Announces on October 26: Advancing New Development of Its Insomnia Drug for Autism Spectrum Disorder
On October 26, Idorsia, headquartered in Allschwil, Switzerland, announced that it will advance a new development programme for its insomnia drug daridorexant in autism spectrum disorder. In a Phase 2 study in children with insomnia disorder, researchers observed that, in addition to marked improvements in sleep measures, participants with autism spectrum disorder or subclinical features who took 50 mg of daridorexant also showed unexpected patterns of improvement in emotion and behaviour, cognition and daily activities. Combining internal company research data with published scientific literature, and daridorexant's unique mechanism of action, the company believes there is reason to further explore its application in treating autism spectrum disorder. The company said it is developing a dedicated formulation in parallel and discussing the design of the development programme, including the doses to be studied, with health authorities worldwide, with more details expected in the first half of 2027. Chief executive Roland Wandeler said this observation from clinical research opens an entirely new scientific avenue for the company, while treatment options for autism spectrum disorder remain very limited, so exploring potential new therapies has special significance for patients and their families. Readers should note that the current findings are still an early research signal, and there is a long road to an approved therapy: follow-up research needs larger, more rigorous clinical trials to verify efficacy and safety, and patients' families should not adjust medication on their own but follow doctors' professional advice.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 实验室研究人员（资料图）（资料图）。摄影：Photo Credit: James Gathany Content Providers: CDC/ Douglas E. Jordan，Public domain，取自 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: Laboratory researcher (file photo) (file photo). Credit: Photo Credit: James Gathany Content Providers: CDC/ Douglas E. Jordan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
