pitolisant
Adjunctive therapy • Brands: Wakix
Last reviewed: 2025-12-30
General information
- Class: Adjunctive therapy
- Common US brands: Wakix
- Therapeutic drug monitoring not routinely recommended.
- Last reviewed: 2025-12-30
Dosing & forms
- Forms/strengths: —
- Frequency: —
- Food: —
- Typical range: —
Mechanism (brief)
Histamine H3 receptor inverse agonist/antagonist (pitolisant) indicated for excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy in narcolepsy; non-scheduled but has clinically important QT prolongation risk at higher exposures and dose adjustments for CYP2D6 status and interacting medications.
Metabolism & Half‑life
- Metabolism: CYP2D6, CYP3A4
- Half‑life: Single-dose mean 20 h
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM)
Recommended: No
Monitoring highlights
- —
Sources
- WAKIX (pitolisant) tablets prescribing information — DailyMed (2025)
- Treatment of central disorders of hypersomnolence: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline — Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (2021)
- Treatment of central disorders of hypersomnolence: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine systematic review, meta-analysis, and GRADE assessment — Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (2021)
- Pitolisant versus placebo or modafinil in patients with narcolepsy — Lancet Neurology (2013)