Idorsia Announces Esteemed Actor, Author and Father, Taye Diggs, as Patient Ambassador for QUVIVIQ™ (daridorexant), a Once Nightly Treatment for Insomnia

• Diggs shares his struggles with insomnia and experience with QUVIVIQ for the first time
• Idorsia Pharmaceuticals and Diggs team up to inspire adults with difficulty falling or staying asleep (insomnia)

RADNOR, Pa., May 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Idorsia Pharmaceuticals, U.S. Inc, today announced its partnership with Taye Diggs, esteemed actor, author and father, as a patient ambassador for QUVIVIQ™ (daridorexant) CIV. As patient ambassador, Diggs is helping to raise awareness of insomnia (trouble falling asleep or staying asleep) by sharing his personal struggles with insomnia and his experience with QUVIVIQ, which he was prescribed by his doctor.

Diggs' trouble sleeping started over 10 years ago when his son was born. He regularly experienced difficulty sleeping during the night, always watching the clock and anticipating when he would need to get up to take care of his son, which led to him lying awake and thinking about how little sleep he would get. Over time, he became frustrated with his inability to stay asleep. The lack of sleep was impacting his daily routine so much that even his young son began to take notice.

"Sleep is supposed to be a natural thing that the body does so when I was struggling with it, I started questioning everything and wondered what was wrong with me. After trying multiple over the counter and prescription treatments over the years, I decided to talk to my doctor about different options and I was prescribed QUVIVIQ," says Diggs. "Now that I take QUVIVIQ nightly, I'm able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Getting more sleep at night helps me to feel less tired during the day. I'm happy to say that I've found an insomnia treatment that works for me."

As patient ambassador, Taye shares his personal sleep story and his experience with QUVIVIQ, which can be found across digital mediums. To learn more about Taye and his sleep story, visit QUVIVIQ.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

"Taye is a natural partner for us because of his desire to help others understand that insomnia is a real medical condition and we're honored to play a part in sharing his sleep journey," says Patricia Torr, President and General Manager of Idorsia U.S. "Our partnership with Taye exemplifies how we, at Idorsia, are approaching insomnia differently by shining a light on people's experiences living with insomnia and advancing meaningful conversations with healthcare providers."

QUVIVIQ 25mg and 50mg tablets are FDA approved and available for the treatment of adult patients with insomnia, characterized by difficulties with sleep onset and/or sleep maintenance. QUVIVIQ is recommended once per night, taken orally within 30 minutes before going to bed, with at least seven hours remaining prior to planned awakening.¹ In clinical studies, QUVIVIQ helped adults with insomnia fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer with improvements measured at month 1 and 3. The most common side effects were headaches and sleepiness. Because QUVIVIQ may cause sleepiness during the day, patients should avoid driving or other activities that require clear thinking until they feel fully awake.

QUVIVIQ™ (daridorexant) CIV is Idorsia's first approved and commercially available medicine in the U.S. and exemplifies the company's deep scientific roots and commitment to discovering, developing and bringing new medicines to patients to fulfill unmet needs.

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, affecting more than approximately 25 million adults in the U.S.^2,3 Sleep is underrecognized as the third pillar of health, next to diet and exercise, particularly regarding the significant direct consequences it has on our daily lives. The effects of sleep, particularly lack of sleep in adults with insomnia, are felt by people during the day.

Adults struggling with sleep should speak with their doctor to see if QUVIVIQ is the right treatment option for them. For more information, see the Full Prescribing Information (PI and Medication Guide).

About QUVIVIQ
QUVIVIQ is a prescription medicine for adults who have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep (insomnia).

Important Safety Information
Do not take QUVIVIQ if you fall asleep often at unexpected times (narcolepsy). 
QUVIVIQ may cause serious side effects, including:

• Decreased awareness and alertness. The morning after you take QUVIVIQ, your ability to drive safely and think clearly may be decreased. You may also have sleepiness during the day. 
• Do not take more QUVIVIQ than prescribed.
• Do not take QUVIVIQ unless you are able to stay in bed for at least 7 hours before you must be active again.
• Take QUVIVIQ at night within 30 minutes before going to bed.

QUVIVIQ is a federally controlled substance because it can be abused or lead to dependence.

Before taking QUVIVIQ, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

• have a history of depression, mental illness, or suicidal thoughts or actions; drug or alcohol abuse or addiction; a sudden onset of muscle weakness (cataplexy); daytime sleepiness
• have lung or breathing problems, including sleep apnea
• have liver problems
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your healthcare provider about all of the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

• Taking QUVIVIQ with certain medicines can cause serious side effects. QUVIVIQ may affect the way other medicines work and other medicines may affect the way QUVIVIQ works.
• Do not take QUVIVIQ with other medicines that can make you sleepy unless instructed by your healthcare provider.

What should I avoid while taking QUVIVIQ?

• Do not drink alcohol while taking QUVIVIQ. It can increase the effects of alcohol, which can be dangerous.
• Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, do anything dangerous, or do other activities that require clear thinking if you do not feel fully awake, or you have taken QUVIVIQ and have less than a full night of sleep (at least 7 hours), or if you have taken more QUVIVIQ than prescribed.

QUVIVIQ may cause other serious side effects, including:

• Worsening depression and suicidal thoughts. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any worsening depression or thoughts of suicide or dying.
• Temporary inability to move or talk (sleep paralysis) for up to several minutes, or hallucinations while you are going to sleep or waking up.
• Complex sleep behaviors such as sleep-walking, sleep-driving, preparing and eating food, making phone calls, having sex or doing other activities while not fully awake that you may not remember the next morning. Stop taking QUVIVIQ and call your healthcare provider right away if you experience a complex sleep behavior.

The most common side effects of QUVIVIQ are headache and sleepiness.

These are not all of the possible side effects of QUVIVIQ. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Notes to the editor

About Taye Diggs' Sleep Story
Taye Diggs struggles with sleep began more than 10 years over when his son was born. He regularly experienced difficulty sleeping during the night, always watching the clock, anticipating when he would need to get up to take care of his son and thinking about how little sleep he would be getting. Over time, he became frustrated with his inability to stay sleep. After realizing the impact that lack of sleep was having on his life and trying several different over the counter solutions and prescription options that failed for him, he decided to raise his concerns to his doctor. Taye's doctor prescribed him with QUVIVIQ and after taking QUVIVIQ nightly, he started to notice a difference in his sleep. As a QUVIVIQ patient ambassador, Taye hopes to help educate people about insomnia, specifically that it is a real medical condition that deserves to be treated as such, as well as inspire others experiencing trouble sleeping to speak with their doctors about a treatment option that may work for them.

About Insomnia
Insomnia is defined as a combination of difficulty obtaining sufficient sleep and dissatisfaction with sleep combined with a significant negative impact on daytime functioning. Insomnia disorder is defined as difficulty initiating and/or maintaining sleep on at least three nights per week for at least three months, despite adequate opportunity to sleep.

Insomnia is a condition of overactive brain activity during sleep, and studies have shown that areas of the brain associated with wakefulness remain more active during sleep in patients with insomnia.

Significant insomnia is a common problem with a prevalence of approximately 10%.² On this basis, and assuming a U.S. adult population of around 250 million, there are approximately 25 million adults in the U.S. living with insomnia.³

Insomnia as a chronic disorder is different from a brief period of poor sleep, and it can take its toll on both physical and mental health. It can be a persistent condition with a negative impact on daytime functioning. Idorsia's research has shown that poor-quality sleep can affect many aspects of daily life, including the ability to concentrate, mood, and energy levels.

The goals of managing insomnia are to improve sleep quality and quantity, as well as daytime functioning. Current recommended treatment of insomnia includes sleep hygiene recommendations, cognitive behavioral therapy, and pharmacotherapy.

References

1. QUVIVIQ™ (daridorexant) [prescribing information]. Radnor, PA: Idorsia Pharmaceuticals U.S. Inc; 2022.
2. Bhaskar S, Hemavathy D, Prasad S. Prevalence of chronic insomnia in adult patients and its correlation with medical comorbidities. J Family Med Prim Care. 2016;5(4):780-784. doi:10.4103/2249-4863.201153.
3. Ogunwole S, Rabe M, Roberts A, et al. United States Census Bureau. Population under age 18 declined last decade. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/united-states-adult-population-grew-faster-than-nations-total-population-from-2010-to-2020.html. Accessed May 12, 2022.

About Idorsia U.S.
Idorsia U.S., an affiliate of Idorsia, is reaching out for more – we have more ideas, we see more opportunities, and we want to help more patients. To achieve this, we will help develop Idorsia into a leading biopharmaceutical company, with a strong scientific core. With commercial operations based outside of Philadelphia, PA, one of densest communities of life sciences talent in the world, we are helping to realize the company's ambition of bringing innovative medicines from bench to bedside. Our goal is to build a commercial footprint that will deliver Idorsia's deep pipeline of products from its R&D engine to the U.S. market – with the potential to change the lives of many patients.

For further information, please contact

U.S. Media
Christopher Clark
Senior Director, U.S. Head of Communications
Idorsia Pharmaceuticals U.S., 100 Matsonford Road, Radnor, PA 19087 
+1 (215) 421 4887
[email protected]
www.idorsia.us

The above information contains certain "forward-looking statements", relating to the company's business, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "estimates", "believes", "expects", "may", "are expected to", "will", "will continue", "should", "would be", "seeks", "pending" or "anticipates" or similar expressions, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Such statements include descriptions of the company's investment and research and development programs and anticipated expenditures in connection therewith, descriptions of new products expected to be introduced by the company and anticipated customer demand for such products and products in the company's existing portfolio. Such statements reflect the current views of the company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

SOURCE Idorsia Pharmaceuticals U.S.