Patent Update: Central & Peripheral Nervous System: Agents for the treatment of sleep disorders: patent activity July 1992 to June 1994

This update includes basic patents and patent applications published between July 1992 and June 1994 which may have utility for the treatment of three major groups of sleep disorders, namely, simple insomnia, sleep disorders secondary to anxiety or mood disorders, and sleep disorders stemming from circadian rhythm disruptions. Accordingly, the patents are grouped by their presumed mode of action as non-psychotropic agents, psychotropic agents, and chronobtotic agents. For the purposes of this review, only those patents and applications which specifically describe or claim sleep enhancing or sedative-hypnotic properties are included. Coverage is limited to novel small-molecule, non-peptidergic agents.