Description
Artvigil (Armodafinil) 150 mg
Artvigil 150 mg is presented here as an armodafinil tablet product. Armodafinil is a wakefulness-promoting medicine used in adults with certain conditions associated with excessive sleepiness. The information below is a general medical summary based on official prescribing information and selected scientific literature.
Active Ingredient and Medicine Class
The verified active ingredient is armodafinil, the R-enantiomer of modafinil. It is classified as a wakefulness-promoting agent and is not the same as a traditional amphetamine stimulant, although it has some overlapping pharmacologic effects on alertness.
Established Medical Uses
Armodafinil tablets are indicated in adults to improve wakefulness in excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and shift work disorder. In obstructive sleep apnea, the medicine is intended to address excessive sleepiness and not the underlying airway obstruction.
How It Works
The exact mechanism by which armodafinil promotes wakefulness is not fully understood. Available evidence shows that it interacts with the brain’s wakefulness pathways and binds to the dopamine transporter, which can reduce dopamine reuptake. This is thought to contribute to increased alertness and reduced sleepiness. Its effects are pharmacologically distinct from those of many older central nervous system stimulants.
Important Safety Information
Armodafinil should not be used in people with a known hypersensitivity to armodafinil, modafinil, or any of the product’s ingredients. Official prescribing information warns about rare but serious skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, as well as multiorgan hypersensitivity reactions. Because the medicine can affect drug-metabolising enzymes, clinically important interactions may occur with steroidal contraceptives, cyclosporine, midazolam, triazolam, omeprazole, phenytoin, diazepam, and other medicines that rely on CYP3A4/5 or CYP2C19 pathways.
Prescribing information also notes caution in people with psychiatric symptoms, cardiovascular disease, hepatic impairment, and in older adults. Armodafinil is not approved for pediatric use. Pregnancy warnings are included in official labeling because animal data suggest possible fetal harm.
Possible Side Effects
The most commonly reported side effects include headache, nausea, dizziness, insomnia, and dry mouth. Other reported effects can include rash, anxiety, depression, decreased appetite, and palpitations. Serious but less common reactions may include severe rash, allergic reactions, mood or psychiatric changes, and symptoms associated with abuse, overdose, or withdrawal.
Scientific Evidence
Clinical studies in adults with shift work disorder showed that armodafinil improved wakefulness, sleep latency, and some measures of cognitive performance compared with placebo. Reviews of the medicine describe similar benefits in patients with excessive sleepiness related to narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea. Overall, the published evidence supports a wakefulness-promoting effect in the approved adult indications, while the response varies among individuals and the medicine does not treat the underlying sleep disorder itself.
Medical Information Notice
This page is an educational summary prepared from sources available at the time of review. It does not replace the official patient leaflet, the full prescribing information, or individual assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Medical Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration / DailyMed Armodafinil Tablets, full prescribing information. View prescribing information
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration NUVIGIL (armodafinil) Highlights of Prescribing Information. View FDA label
- Richard K Bogan Armodafinil in the treatment of excessive sleepiness. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 2010. View scientific article
- Charles A Czeisler et al. Armodafinil for treatment of excessive sleepiness associated with shift work disorder: a randomized controlled study. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2009. View scientific article
