* Idorsia's dual orexin receptor antagonist, a drug working by a new mechanism

    of action for the treatment of chronic insomnia, has been awarded the
    prestigious Prix Galien Suisse 2024 innovation prize in the category
    'Primary & Speciality'.
  * Each year, the Prix Galien Suisse honors the most innovative new medicines
    and diagnostics on the Swiss market.

Allschwil, Switzerland - June 21, 2024
Idorsia Ltd (SIX: IDIA) announced today that its novel treatment for chronic
insomnia has been awarded the prestigious Prix Galien Suisse 2024 innovation
prize in the 'Primary & Speciality' category. The Prix Galien Suisse is awarded
annually to the most innovative new medicines and diagnostics on the Swiss
market, as judged by a jury of renowned Swiss scientists.
Alice Huisman, General Manager of Idorsia Switzerland and Austria, commented:
"We are very proud to have been awarded the prestigious Prix Galien. The
recognition from the jury is a wonderful endorsement of Idorsia's commitment to
innovation in Swiss healthcare and the value that the new treatment brings to
improving Swiss patient care for chronic insomnia. My team is working to make
this medicine accessible to all Swiss patients."
Martine Clozel, MD and Chief Scientific Officer added: "I am delighted that our
innovative research in Switzerland has been recognized with the Prix Galien
Suisse 2024. Our research team began working on the science of orexin and orexin
receptors immediately after they were first described in 1998. Our initial work
led to the understanding that antagonism of the orexin system was the key to
increasing sleep while preserving a natural sleep architecture in patients with
insomnia. The team set the target to design a dual orexin receptor antagonist
that achieved a rapid onset of effect and a duration of action sufficient to
cover the totality of the night - with minimal next-morning residual effect - at
optimally effective doses. This task proved to be very challenging, and we had
to synthesize and characterize more than 25,000 compounds to arrive to the
innovative compound now recognized with the Prix Galien Suisse."
Notes to the editor
About insomnia disorders
Insomnia disorder is defined as difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep,
causing clinically significant distress or impairment in important areas of
daytime functioning. This impact on sleep quantity or quality should be present
for at least three nights per week, over the period of at least three months,
and occurs despite an adequate opportunity to sleep.(1)
Insomnia is a state of overactive wake signals and studies have shown that in
patients with insomnia, brain regions associated with wakefulness remain more
active during sleep.(2)(,)(3) Chronic insomnia is a common problem with an
estimated prevalence in Switzerland of 9.2% of the working-age population.(4)
Insomnia as a disorder is distinctly different from a short period of poor sleep
and it can affect both physical and mental health.(1,)(5) It is a persistent
condition that has a negative impact on daytime performance.(1) Idorsia's
research has shown that poor sleep quality can affect many aspects of daily
life, including the ability to concentrate, mood and energy levels.
The goal of treating insomnia is to improve sleep quality and quantity, as well
as daytime performance, while avoiding side and after-effects the next morning.
The currently recommended treatment for insomnia includes sleep hygiene,
cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy.(4)
About the orexin system
Wake and sleep signaling is regulated by intricate neural circuitry in the
brain. One key component of this process is the orexin system, which helps
promote wakefulness.(6)(,)(7) There are two forms of orexin neuropeptides -
small protein-like molecules used by nerve cells (neurons) to communicate with
each other in the brain - orexin A and orexin B.(6)(,)(8) Orexin promotes
wakefulness through its receptors OX1R and OX2R. (6)(,)(8) Together, these
neuropeptides and receptors make up the orexin system. The orexin system
stimulates targeted neurons in the wake system - leading to the release of
several chemicals (serotonin, histamine, acetylcholine, norepinephrine) - to
promote wakefulness.(9) Under normal circumstances, orexin levels rise
throughout the day as wakefulness is promoted and then fall at night.(1)(0)
Overactivity of the wake system is an important driver of insomnia.(7)
The Idorsia research team has been studying the science of orexin and orexin
receptors since they were first described in 1998. The team's initial work led
to the conclusion that antagonism of the orexin system is key to maintaining
natural sleep architecture in patients with insomnia. With this goal in mind,
the team developed dual antagonists with the aim of a rapid onset of action and
a duration of action sufficient to bridge the night but short enough to minimize
any negative residual activity the next morning at optimally effective doses.
References

  1. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5;
     American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
  2. Buysse, D.J., et al. Drug Discov Today Dis Models. 2011;8(4):129-137.
  3. Levenson, J.C., et al. Chest. 2015;147(4):1179-1192.
  4. Hafner, Marco, et al., 2023. Santa Monica. CA: RAND Corporation.
  5. Wardle-Pinkston S., et al. Sleep Med Rev. 2019;48.
  6. Muehlan, C., et al. J Psychopharmacol. 2020;34(3):326-335.
  7. Boof, M.L., et al. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2019;75(2):195-205.
  8. Muehlan, C., et al. Expert Opin. Drug Metab. Toxicol.
     2020;16(11):1063-1078.
  9. Clifford, B.S., et al. Trends Neurosci. 2001;24(12).726-31.

10. Gotter, A.L., et al. BMC Neuroscience. 2013;14(1):14-19.
About Idorsia
Idorsia Ltd is reaching out for more - We have more ideas, we see more
opportunities and we want to help more patients. In order to achieve this, we
will develop Idorsia into a leading biopharmaceutical company, with a strong
scientific core.
Headquartered near Basel, Switzerland - a European biotech-hub - Idorsia is
specialized in the discovery, development and commercialization of small
molecules to transform the horizon of therapeutic options. Idorsia has a 25-year
heritage of drug discovery, a broad portfolio of innovative drugs in the
pipeline, an experienced team of professionals covering all disciplines from
bench to bedside, and commercial operations in Europe and North America - the
ideal constellation for bringing innovative medicines to patients.
Idorsia was listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: IDIA) in June 2017
and has over 750 highly qualified specialists dedicated to realizing our
ambitious targets.
For more information please contact
Andrew C. Weiss
Senior Vice President, Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Hegenheimermattweg 91, CH-4123 Allschwil
+41 58 844 10 10
investor.relations@idorsia.com
media.relations@idorsia.com
www.idorsia.com (http://www.idorsia.com)
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may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed,
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