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Article: Ramelteon may ease insomnia in shift workers.(Psychiatry)
- Article from:
- Internal Medicine News
- Article date:
- January 15, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 International Medical News Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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ORLANDO -- Ramelteon is effective for a subset of patients with insomnia, according to a presentation at a psychopharmacology congress sponsored by the Neuroscience Education Institute. In addition, because the agent works on melatonin receptors, a potential off-label use is for patients with shift-work disorder.
Ramelteon (Rozerem, Takeda Pharmaceuticals) targets the melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2. The agent is approximately 10 times more potent than melatonin. Other approved drugs promote sleep by increasing [gamma]-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is normally released by the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain.
"Ramelteon is a very interesting drug. ...