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Article: You May Want to Sleep on It; Enter the Next 'Miracle' Drug: a Sleeping Pill You Can Take Long-Term. Ads for Lunesta Won't Likely Give That Theme a Rest. This Time Will Consumers Be More Leery?
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- January 18, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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It sounds like an insomniac's dream: a sleeping pill that can be
taken for weeks or even months at a time, without the risk of
addiction or morning-after grogginess.
In the next several weeks consumers will see splashy print and
television ads touting the lyrically named Lunesta, which was
approved last month by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Unlike other sleeping pills, including market leader Ambien, which
are not supposed to be taken for longer than 10 days at a time,
Lunesta has no FDA recommended time limit.
Since the drug's official launch last week, Sepracor, its
Massachusetts-based manufacturer, has deployed 1,250 salespeople to
the offices of primary care physicians ...