Quviviq Vs Belsomra (Daridorexant Vs Suvorexant)

This post about “Quviviq Vs Belsomra” is to compare the two hypnotic medications which have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of Insomnia.

These drugs belong to the class of medicines called “Orexin inhibitors” and are especially indicated for adults who have a poor response to other drugs like Zolpidem (Ambien) and Eszopiclone (Lunesta).

General Comparison of Quviviq Vs Belsomra:

Quviviq and Belsomra are both FDA-approved drugs for treating insomnia in adults. These drugs are used by people who have disturbed sleep such as difficulty falling asleep, maintaining a night of good sleep, and getting up frequently during the night.

Belsomra (Suvorexant) was the first FDA-approved Orexin inhibitor. Quviviq, on the other hand, is the latest FDA-approved drug among all the Orexin Inhibitors.

It is much costlier than Belsomra (Suvorexant) and even Dayvigo (Lemborexant).

Here is a table comparing the general features of Quviviq Vs Belsomra:

Belsomra is a time-tested medicine but some people find Quviviq more effective than Belsomra. The monthly cost of Quviviq Vs Belsomra is $514.78 vs $455.23 respectively.

Pharmacokinetic Differences Between Quviviq and Belsomra:

Both Quviviq (Daridorexant) and Belsomra (Suvorexant) belong to the same class of hypnotic drugs, the Orexin inhibitors. These drugs have a totally different mechanism of action compared to most sedatives and sleep medicines.

These drugs are well absorbed when taken orally, especially on an empty stomach. The maximum plasma levels of these drugs are achieved within 1 – 2 hours, however, if taken with fatty or high-caloric meals, their absorption is delayed.

Both Quviviq and Belsomra are primarily metabolized by the liver enzyme CYP3A4 and primarily excreted via feces and urine.

Quviviq has a relatively short half-life of 8 hours compared to Belsomra which may reduce the chances of next-day sedation to a great extent.

The following table summarizes the pharmacokinetics of Quviviq Vs Belsomra:

Both drugs should not be used in combination with hypnotics, alcohol, and other medicines that are strong inhibitors or inducers of the hepatic enzymes, CYP3A4.

Quviviq Vs Belsomra Dosing Considerations:

Like all sleep medicines, both Quviviq and Belsomra are recommended in low doses initially. The dose is then up-titrated if an inadequate response is observed.

Starting directly in higher doses may result in serious side effects such as sleep paralysis, sleepwalking, hallucinations that are described as very real, and nightmares.

Both these drugs are not intended for use in children, those with advanced liver disease, in combination with other hypnotics or alcohol, and in pregnant women.

Lastly, these medicines have the potential to be taken in doses exceeding the recommended doses, and individuals may get addicted.

The prescription should be limited to a small period of time. The smallest effective dose should be prescribed.

Side effects of Quviviq Vs Belsomra:

The percentages of the common side effects of Belsomra (Suvorexant) Vs Quviviq (Daridorexant) are mentioned in the table below:

In addition, diarrhea, cough, and upper respiratory tract infections were observed in 2% of the individuals taking Belsomra.

The side effects of both Quviviq and Belsomra are comparable, however, next-day sleepiness may be more prominent in patients taking Belsomra because it has a relatively longer half-life (12 hours compared to 8 hours of Quviviq)

Which Sleep Medicine is More effective: Quviviq or Belsomra?

Both Quviviq and Belsomra are effective sleep medicines. They reduce the time between going to bed and falling asleep, increasing the total time a person is asleep, and reducing the chances the person wakes up at night while asleep.

However, Belsomra seems to maintain sleep better than Quviviq, probably because of its long half-life.

The table below compares the effect of Belsomra and Quviviq on sleep onset, sleep maintenance, and the time awake after sleep onset:

It is evident here that both Belsomra and Quviviq are effective sleep medicines. Their efficacies in inducing sleep, maintaining sleep, and reducing the frequency of waking up are comparable.

In real-life data from social media, most people who switched from Belsomra to Quiviq reported better results in terms of sleep onset, sleep maintenance, and fewer side effects. We will publish the results in the coming posts.

In Conclusion:

Belsomra and Quviviq are effective sleep medicines working on the final pathway of brain awake signals.

Common side effects of these drugs may include headaches, somnolence, nightmares, sleep paralysis, and sleepwalking.