FDA Approves Intermezzo
FDA Approves Intermezzo for Middle-of-the-Night Waking Followed by Difficulty Returning to Sleep
November 23, 2011 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Intermezzo (zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablets) for use as needed to treat insomnia characterized by middle-of-the-night waking followed by difficulty returning to sleep.
This is the first time the FDA has approved a drug for this condition. Intermezzo should only be used when a person has at least four hours of bedtime remaining. It should not be taken if alcohol has been consumed or with any other sleep aid.
Insomnia is a common condition in which a person has trouble falling or staying asleep. It can range from mild to severe, depending on how often it occurs and for how long. Insomnia can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and lack of energy. It also can make a person feel anxious, depressed, or irritable. People with insomnia may have trouble focusing on tasks, paying attention, learning, and remembering.
Zolpidem tartrate was first approved in the United States in 1992 as the drug Ambien. Intermezzo is a lower dose formulation of zolpidem. The recommended and maximum dose of Intermezzo is 1.75 milligrams for women and 3.5 mg for men, taken once per night. The recommended dose for women is lower because women clear zolpidem from the body at a lower rate than men.
“For people whose insomnia causes them to wake in middle of the night with difficulty returning to sleep, this new medication offers a safer choice than taking a higher dose of zolpidem upon waking,” said Robert Temple, M.D., deputy center director for clinical science in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “With this lower dose there is less risk of a person having too much drug in the body upon waking, which can cause dangerous drowsiness and impair driving.”
Intermezzo was studied in two clinical trials involving more than 370 patients. In the studies, patients taking the drug had a shorter time to fall back asleep after waking compared to people taking an inactive pill (placebo). The most commonly reported adverse reactions in the clinical trials were headache, nausea and fatigue.
Like other sleep medicines, Intermezzo may cause serious side effects, including getting out of bed while not fully awake and doing an activity that you do not know you are doing or do not remember having done. Reported activities while under the influence of sleep medicines include driving a car, making and eating food, having sex, talking on the phone, and sleep walking—without knowing at the time or remembering later. Chances of such activity increase if a person has consumed alcohol or taken other medicines that make them sleepy.
Intermezzo is a federally controlled substance because it can be abused or lead to dependence.
Intermezzo is made by Transcept Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Port Richmond, Calif.
Posted: November 2011
Related articles
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Announces Intermezzo PDUFA Action Date of November 27, 2011 - October 7, 2011
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Announces Plan to Resubmit Intermezzo New Drug Application Following Meeting with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration - September 14, 2011
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Receives Complete Response Letter from FDA on Intermezzo New Drug Application - July 15, 2011
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Expects Complete Response Letter on Intermezzo New Drug Application Based on Teleconference with FDA - July 13, 2011
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Resubmits Intermezzo New Drug Application for the Treatment of Middle of the Night Awakenings - January 19, 2011
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Updates Plan for Intermezzo NDA Resubmission Following Teleconference With the FDA - March 25, 2010
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Provides Update on Intermezzo Regulatory Review - February 23, 2010
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Scheduled to Meet With FDA to Discuss Intermezzo Complete Response Letter - November 24, 2009
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Receives Complete Response Letter from FDA on Intermezzo New Drug Application - October 30, 2009
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Announces Expected FDA Extension of Regulatory Review Period for Intermezzo - June 11, 2009
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Announces FDA Acceptance for Review of New Drug Application for Intermezzo - December 16, 2008
- Transcept Pharmaceuticals Submits New Drug Application for Intermezzo for Treatment of Middle-of-the-Night Awakenings - October 1, 2008
Intermezzo (zolpidem tartrate) FDA Approval History
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