In a new study of Cephalon's Provigil, researchers concluded that night-shift workers taking the stimulant experienced significantly better alertness but nevertheless continued to report attention failures at the rate of once every two minutes. With more than 6 million Americans working late-night shifts, drug developers have been focused on improving alertness among workers who often complain of sleepiness. In an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine, Robert C. Basner said it was impossible to determine what clinical benefits could be expected from the drug. Cephalon, however, focused on the positives.
"This study further clarifies the role excessive sleepiness plays in shift-work sleep disorder, and the value of Provigil in treating excessive sleepiness," said Paul Blake, Cephalon's executive vice president for medical and regulatory operations.
- read this report from the Philadelphia Inquirer for more
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