Xyrem is a potential new treatment for individuals suffering from
narcolepsy. Xyrem is currently undergoing review by the Food & Drug Administration, and a decision on the drug's formal approval is expected in 2001.
Xyrem is the brand name for sodium oxybate. Its main ingredient is gamma-hydroybuturate, commonly known as GHB. GHB is well known because of its label as a "date rape drug." Because of its reputation for this use, former President Clinton signed the Date Rape Prohibition Act, which classified GHB as a Class 1 substance, in the same category as drugs such as heroin and LSD. However, part of the Act did grant Orphan Medical, Inc., the drug's manufacturer, an exemption to research and produce GHB as a treatment for narcolepsy.
Research has shown Xyrem to be associated with a dangerous form of sleepwalking and mental confusion.
See Also
- Narcolepsy Drugs: Overview