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Xyrem is a branded form of sodium oxybate, the sodium salt of gamma-hydroxybutyrate, or GHB , to precursor to GABA, glutamate, and glycine which is FDA approved for narcolepsy and cataplexy. The news on Xyrem is that the FDA just approved a new version of it – called Xywav – made by Jazz pharmaceuticals. [FDA Prescribing Information]
Date Published: 10/27/2020
Duration: 2 minutes, 4 seconds
Transcript:
Xyrem is a branded form of sodium oxybate, the sodium salt of gamma-hydroxybutyrate, or GHB , to precursor to GABA, glutamate, and glycine which is FDA approved for narcolepsy and cataplexy. You need to know about it because it’s a heavy sedative and respiratory depressant, and it’s a Schedule III drug of abuse that has also been used as a date rape drug and athletic performance enhancer. You need special certification to prescribe xyrem, and it’s primarily used by neurologists and sleep medicine doctors. Patients actually have to take this sedative in two doses and they have to wake up to take the second dose – first at bedtime and another dose 4 hours later.
You’ll also need to know about it because it’s been studied for alcoholism and fibromyalgia, though the latest fibrom yalgia study was negative.
The news on Xyrem is that the FDA just approved a new version of it – called Xywav – made by Jazz pharmaceuticals. Xywav adds calcium, magnesium, potassium to the mix as binding salts. In other words, while Xyrem is bound only to sodium, Xwav is bound to calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Both are liquid formulations and both have the same dosing instructions, risks and benefits.
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