Sleep disorders are among the most common and disabling non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, affecting up to 90% of patients. REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is particularly significant as it serves as a prodromal marker of synucleinopathies, with approximately 80-90% of idiopathic RBD patients eventually developing Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, or multiple system atrophy[@postuma2019].
Despite the high prevalence and clinical significance, there are currently no FDA-approved treatments specifically for RBD in Parkinson's disease. Current management relies on off-label pharmacological approaches and emerging investigational therapies.
This page catalogs companies developing treatments for sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease, with a focus on REM sleep behavior disorder.
Ideal RBD treatments would:
Location: Allschwil, Switzerland
Website: idorsia.com
Pipeline:
| Drug | Indication | Status | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daridorexant | Insomnia | Approved (US/EU) | Dual orexin receptor antagonist |
Idorsia developed daridorexant (QUVIVIQ), approved for insomnia disorder. While not specifically developed for RBD, orexin receptor antagonists may have potential in RBD by modulating sleep architecture. The company has CNS expertise from its Actelion heritage and could potentially pursue RBD indications[@daridorexant-approval].
Location: Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA
Website: sunovion.com
Pipeline:
| Drug | Indication | Status | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dasolampanel | Insomnia | Phase 2 | AMPA receptor antagonist |
Sunovion (part of Sumitomo Pharma) has developing therapies for sleep disorders. Their expertise in CNS disorders could translate to RBD drug development.
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website: empatica.com
Focus: Digital health wearables for sleep monitoring
Empatica manufactures the EmbracePlus and other wearables capable of detecting sleep stages, movements during sleep, and potential RBD episodes. While not a therapeutic company per se, their technology is crucial for:
Location: Oulu, Finland
Website: ouraring.com
Focus: Sleep tracking and health monitoring
Oura Ring and associated platforms provide sleep staging and movement tracking. Similar to Empatica, they provide important monitoring capabilities for RBD clinical trials.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Website: medtronic.com
Focus: Sleep disorder devices
Cereve, acquired by Medtronic, develops CPAP and other sleep disorder devices. Their expertise in sleep medicine could extend to neurodegenerative disease-related sleep disorders.
While not specifically approved for RBD, these compounds are used off-label:
Current clinical trials targeting sleep disorders in PD include various interventional and observational studies. See Parkinson's Disease Clinical Trials for a comprehensive list.
A consortium of researchers conducting longitudinal studies on RBD and neurodegenerative disease progression. Key studies include:
The MJFF funds significant research into sleep disorders in PD, including:
Companies developing sleep technologies are crucial partners for therapeutic developers: