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The U.S. government approved a new treatment for insomnia on Friday, the first prescription sleep aid not designated as a controlled substance. Called Rozerem, the drug works differently from its competitors.

Rozerem is chemically related to the natural hormone melatonin, which helps regulate the body's sleep-wake cycle, and is thought to work by stimulating melatonin receptors in the brain, explained Dr. Robert Meyer of the Food and Drug Administration.

"It's another option" for people with the main form of insomnia, difficulty in falling asleep, Meyer said. "By working through a different pathway, it's entirely possible that this might work for some people in ways that the other drugs do not."

The original article can be found at: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050723/fda_insomnia_050723/20050723/

The original article can found in the Media Doctor archives.

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what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

This is a short and unsatisfactory story about a new sleeping aid, Rozerem, which reads more like an advertisement than a piece of journalism. The reference to evidence is scant and a proper discussion of benefits and harms related to the treatment is non-existent.

While the article reports USFDA approval, we have no idea if the drug will be available in Canada, as we aren't told if and when Health Canada will approve it.

Finally, by reporting that "1/3 of adults have trouble sleeping", the story crosses the border into disease mongering.

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