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| |  Lunesta Now Widely Available by Prescription to Treat Insomnia Estimated 100 Million Americans Suffer from Insomnia MARLBOROUGH, MA -- April 7, 2005 -- Sepracor Inc. today announced that Lunesta(TM) (eszopiclone 1 mg, 2 mg and 3 mg tablets) is now available by prescription in most pharmacies nationwide. Lunesta is the first and only sleep aid (prescription or over-the-counter), which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for long-term treatment of insomnia. Lunesta is the first treatment in its class that has been shown to not only help patients fall asleep quickly, but also sleep all through the night. "Lunesta is a new prescription, non-narcotic sleep aid approved to treat insomnia and, unlike other sleep aids, is approved for long-term use," said John Winkelman, MD, PhD, Associate Director for the Sleep Disorders Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. "Lunesta is an important treatment option for the millions of people who have the ongoing problem of not getting a good night's sleep." Lunesta is approved as a prescription, non-narcotic sleep aid to treat insomnia. Insomnia symptoms can include difficulty falling asleep and/or not sleeping all through the night. Lunesta has been studied in patients for up to 12 months and in more than 30 clinical trials enrolling more than 4,700 patients. "I am extremely pleased that millions of patients who have trouble sleeping, whether it be on a short- or long-term basis, have an effective new prescription treatment option available in their local pharmacy," continued Winkelman. "I expect that Lunesta, with its approval for long-term use and effectiveness in helping people stay asleep through the night, will allow most people who suffer from insomnia to get a refreshing night of sleep without feeling groggy the next day." About Insomnia Insomnia can include difficulty falling asleep as well as difficulty maintaining sleep through the night. An estimated 100 million adult Americans suffer from either chronic or occasional insomnia.(1) Symptoms of insomnia include difficulty falling asleep, awakening frequently during the night, waking up too early, an inability to fall back to sleep, or awakening feeling unrefreshed. Insomnia can be a serious condition. If left untreated, it may become progressively worse and in turn, potentially affect a person's emotional, mental and physical health. Important Safety Information Lunesta should only be taken immediately before bedtime. Be sure you have at least eight hours to devote to sleep before becoming active. You should not engage in any activity after taking Lunesta that requires complete alertness, such as driving a car or operating machinery. You should use extreme care when engaging in these activities the morning after taking Lunesta. Do not use alcohol while taking any sleep medicine. All sleep medicines carry some risk of dependency. Do not use sleep medicines for extended periods without first talking to your doctor. Side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, drowsiness and dizziness.
Lunesta is a trademark of Sepracor Inc. (1) Extrapolated to current population from 2000 census based on Ancoli-Israel et al. Sleep. 1999;22 (suppl 2):S347-S353.
SOURCE: Sepracor Inc.
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