Melatonin News and Research

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Melatonin, also known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring compound found in animals, plants, and microbes. In animals, circulating levels of the hormone melatonin vary in a daily cycle, thereby allowing the entrainment of the circadian rhythms of several biological functions.

FDA Advisory Committee votes in favor of Vanda's tasimelteon NDA for Non-24-Hour Disorder

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee voted overwhelmingly to recommend the approval of Vanda's New Drug Application for tasimelteon, proposed tradename HETLIOZ™, for the treatment of Non-24-Hour Disorder (Non-24) in the totally blind.

15 Nov 2013

School-year bedtimes impact teens’ academic, social and emotional development

Teenagers who go to bed late during the school year are more prone to academic and emotional difficulties in the long run, compared to their earlier-to-bed counterparts, according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley.

11 Nov 2013

Univar signs agreement with Swati Spentose to become exclusive distributor of Lidocaine products

Univar Inc., a leading global chemical distributor, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Swati Spentose Pvt. Ltd. to become its exclusive distributor of Lidocaine products, including Lidocaine Base and Lidocaine HCl in the United States.

22 Oct 2013

Sleep anomalies not linked to breast cancer incidence

There is no association between self-reported sleep duration, sleep quality, insomnia, or sleep disturbance and the incidence of breast cancer, according to findings from the Women’s Health Initiative.

21 Oct 2013

Spanish scientists discover melatonin consumption helps control weight gain

Melatonin is a natural hormone segregated by the body and melatonin levels generally increase in the dark at night. It is also found in fruit and vegetables like mustard, Goji berries, almonds, sunflower seeds, cardamom, fennel, coriander and cherries.

26 Sep 2013

Northumbria University psychologist to introduce diners to the science behind food and drink

Diners will discover how the food on their plate can impact their brain function at a special dining experience during the British Science Festival in Newcastle.

6 Sep 2013

Scientists show link between lunar cycles and human sleep behavior

Many people complain about poor sleep around full moon. Scientists at the University of Basel in Switzerland now report evidence that lunar cycles and human sleep behavior are in fact connected.

26 Jul 2013

Melatonin pre-treatment greatly increases cell survival, say researchers

When melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, was used as a pre-treatment for mesenchymal stem cells prior to their transplantation into the brains of laboratory animals to repair damage from stroke, researchers in China found that the stem cells survived longer after transplantation. Previous studies had shown that 80 percent of transplanted MSCs died within 72 hours of transplantation.

23 Jul 2013

Metabolomics tools predict who can benefit from treatment with certain antidepressants

Duke Medicine researchers have identified biochemical changes in people taking antidepressants - but only in those whose depression improves. These changes occur in a neurotransmitter pathway that is connected to the pineal gland, the part of the endocrine system that controls the sleep cycle, suggesting an added link between sleep, depression and treatment outcomes.

19 Jul 2013

Vanda presents additional data from tasimelteon Phase III studies at ENDO 2013

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. presented additional data today at ENDO 2013, the Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting, demonstrating that tasimelteon can entrain (synchronize) both melatonin and cortisol rhythms.

18 Jun 2013

Study: Individuals with ASDs show decrease metabolism of amino acid L-tryptophan

Researchers at the JC Self Research Institute of the Greenwood Genetic Center (GGC), along with collaborators from Biolog, Inc. in California, have reported an important discovery in the understanding of autism which was published this week in Molecular Autism.

7 Jun 2013

Vanda reports clinical data of tasimelteon Phase III studies for treatment of Non-24-Hour Disorder

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. presented additional entrainment and patient-level clinical data at SLEEP 2013, the 27th Annual Meeting of Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Baltimore, from its SET (Safety and Efficacy of Tasimelteon) and RESET (Randomized-withdrawal study of the Efficacy and Safety of Tasimelteon to treat Non-24-Hour Disorder) Phase III studies of tasimelteon, a circadian regulator for the treatment of Non-24-Hour Disorder (Non-24) in totally blind individuals.

6 Jun 2013

Lowering light setting, holding phone several inches from face help in-bed use, study suggests

Smartphones and tablets can make for sleep-disrupting bedfellows. One cause is believed to be the bright light-emitting diodes that allow the use of mobile devices in dimly lit rooms; the light exposure can interfere with melatonin, a hormone that helps control the natural sleep-wake cycle. But there may be a way to check your mobile device in bed and still get a good night's sleep.

4 Jun 2013

Vanda Pharmaceuticals announces submission of tasimelteon NDA to FDA

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced the submission of a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for tasimelteon, a circadian regulator.

31 May 2013

Choosing better sunglasses to protect kids' eyes from damaging rays

Summer months are just on the horizon bringing wonderful warm days filled with sunshine. For most parents, sending kids outside to play includes lathering them with sunscreen to protect their skin from too much of the sun's UVA and UVB rays, but what about protecting their children's eyes?

31 May 2013

Study: Melatonin delays symptom onset, reduces mortality in mouse model of ALS

Melatonin injections delayed symptom onset and reduced mortality in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

25 Apr 2013

Researchers find association between melatonin, type 2 diabetes

With previous evidence suggesting that melatonin may have a role in glucose metabolism, researchers have found an independent association between decreased secretion of melatonin and an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the April 3 issue of JAMA.

3 Apr 2013

Sunny regions with high solar intensity have lower prevalence of ADHD, study finds

A study published today in Biological Psychiatry sheds new light on the increasing rates (prevalence) of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD.

26 Mar 2013

Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital present research works at AAN meeting

The following research from Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is being presented at the 65th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, March 16-23, 2013, in San Diego.

18 Mar 2013

Positive results from Neurim’s Piromelatine phase II study on insomnia

Neurim Pharmaceuticals announced today positive results from a phase II clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Piromelatine (Neu-P11), a novel investigational multimodal sleep medicine developed for the treatment of patients with primary and co-morbid insomnia.

18 Feb 2013