List of investigational chronobiotics
Investigational chronobiotic drugs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of investigational chronobiotics, or drugs that are currently under development for clinical use as chronobiotics—that is, for the treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders—but are not yet approved.
Chemical/generic names are listed first, with developmental code names, synonyms, and brand names in parentheses. The format of list items is "Name (Synonyms) – Mechanism of Action [Reference]".
This list was last comprehensively updated in September 2025. It is likely to become outdated with time.
Under development
Phase 3
- Solriamfetol (ADX-N05; ARL-N05; JZP-110; SKL-N05; Sunosi) – norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) and trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonist[1]
Phase 2
- Lemborexant (LEM; Dayvigo; E-2006) – orexin OX1 and OX2 receptor antagonist[2]
Preclinical
Not under development
No development reported
Discontinued
Clinically used drugs
Approved drugs
- Armodafinil (Nuvigil) – atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitor – specifically for shift work sleep disorder[9]
- Modafinil (Provigil) – atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitor – specifically for shift work sleep disorder[9][10][11]
- Tasimelteon (BMS-214778; Hetlioz; VEC-162) – melatonin MT1 and MT2 receptor agonist[12]
Off-label drugs
- Antipsychotics (e.g., aripiprazole)[13][14]
- Hypnotics (e.g., antihistamines, trazodone, orexin receptor antagonists, benzodiazepines, Z-drugs)[9][15]
- Melatonin receptor agonists (e.g., melatonin, ramelteon, agomelatine)[16]
- Vitamins (e.g., vitamin B12)[17]
- Wakefulness-promoting agents and stimulants (e.g., caffeine, modafinil, armodafinil)[18][19]