Sleep drug could unlock secrets of depression and anxiety
NCT ID NCT07267559
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at how daridorexant, a sleep medication that blocks the brain chemical orexin, affects emotional processing and learning in 62 healthy adults. Participants take a single dose of the drug or a placebo and then complete tasks that measure emotional responses and learning. The goal is to better understand orexin's role in mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Daridorexant (brand name Quviviq), a sleep medication that blocks orexin, a brain chemical involved in sleep, emotion, and stress.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could reveal how orexin influences emotional and cognitive processes, potentially pointing toward new treatments for depression and anxiety.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, not patients. It only measures brain responses, not actual treatment effects, so results may not translate to real-world therapies.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 62 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2025
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 40 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult participant, aged 18 to 40 years * Willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the trial * Able to follow study procedures as laid out in the participant information sheet * Able to read and understand English * Willing to avoid drinking alcohol, using recreational drugs, drinking grapefruit juice 24 hours before and after the study visit * Willing to avoid driving or engaging in any activities requiring full alertness (e.g. cycling or operating heavy machinery) until the morning after the study visit day. * Able to complete computer tasks without eye glasses even if uses correction regularly Exclusion Criteria: 1. History of, receiving or seeking treatment for any sleep or circadian rhythm disorder or positive in screening questionnaires. 2. History of, receiving or seeking treatment for any clinically significant mental health condition (including but not limited to schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar affective disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder) or positive in screening questionnaires. 3. History of, or current medical condition(s) which might increase the risk of oral administration of daridorexant, including: * ADHD requiring treatment with stimulants or other centrally-acting drugs * Neurological problems, including traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, Central Nervous System tumours or other severe neurological problems (e.g. Parkinson's disease; blackouts requiring hospitalisation) * Current Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, emphysema or any medical condition that affects the lungs or breathing * Mild to severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh class A-C) * Severe renal disease * Severe gastrointestinal problems * History of, or current medical condition(s) which, in the opinion of the Investigator may interfere with the safety of the participant or the scientific integrity of the study 4. Pregnancy (as determined by urine pregnancy test taken during screening visit), intention to become pregnant or breastfeeding during the study or over the following six months. 5. Body mass index (BMI) below 18 or above 30kg/m2. 6. Current or past history of drug or alcohol dependency. 7. Regular alcohol consumption of more than 21 units per week or use of recreational drugs or performance-enhancing drugs (e.g. cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines) within past three months. 8. Excessive caffeine consumption, i.e., consumption higher than 400mg a day of caffeine. This corresponds to more than 4 cups of brewed coffee, 6 espressos or filtered coffees, 9 cups of black tea, 10 cans of cola, or two "energy shot" drinks. 9. Smoking more than 5 cigarettes per day (or other nicotine replacement equivalent, including vaping on average more than 50 puffs a day). 10. Current or recent (past two months) use of any medication or medical devices (e.g. implanted neurostimulator) that affect brain function for the exception of contraceptives (pill, the Depo-Provera injection or the progesterone implant). This includes drugs that cause sedation (e.g. benzodiazepines, opioids, tricyclic antidepressants or sedative antipsychotics) or antihistamines. 11. Current use of any medications at risk of interaction with daridorexant; in particular: * strong or moderate CYP3A inhibitors (e.g. strong inhibitors - itraconazole, clarithromycin, ritonavir, grapefruit juice; moderate inhibitors - fluconazole, verapamil, diltiazem, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, cyclosporine) * strong or moderate CYP3A inducers (e.g. of strong inducers - rifampicin, carbamazepine, St. John's wort; moderate inducers - bosentan, efavirenz, etravirine, modafinil) * Gastric pH-modifiers (e.g. famotidine and proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole) * P-gp transporters (e.g. dabigatran, digoxin) 12. Inability to ingest up to 95mg of lactose. 13. Previous participation in any other drug study or sleep intervention study in the last three months. 14. Previous participation in any other study by the Psychopharmacology and Emotion Research lab (Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford) or which uses the same computer tasks in the last 6 months 15. Participant is unlikely to comply with the clinical study protocol or is unsuitable for any other reason, in the opinion of the Investigator.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
RECRUITINGOxford, OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
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