What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate the efficacy and safety of daridorexant in treating insomnia disorder in children and adolescents, including those with neurodevelopmental disorders.

April 8, 2026Open Access

Daridorexant in children and adolescents with insomnia disorder: study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial

Key Points

To investigate the efficacy and safety of daridorexant in treating insomnia disorder in children and adolescents, including those with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
Participants aged 10 to <18 years with insomnia disorder based on DSM-5 or ICSD-3
Stratified into groups based on ASD/ADHD diagnosis
Randomised 1:1:1:1 to daridorexant 10 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg, or placebo for at least 14 days
Primary endpoint is change in total sleep time measured by polysomnography.
Primary endpoint assessed to determine the dose-response relationship of daridorexant
Study also evaluates safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and palatability of daridorexant
Ethics approvals obtained for all participating sites in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Abstract

Introduction Insomnia disorder imposes a significant burden on children and adolescents; however, treatment options are limited. This paper describes the first controlled study to investigate the efficacy and safety of daridorexant, a dual orexin receptor antagonist, in children and adolescents with or without comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders, allowing its evaluation in a broad paediatric population. Methods and analysis This multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, dose-finding Phase 2 trial includes male and female participants aged ≥10 to <18 years meeting the diagnosis of insomnia disorder as per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) or International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition (ICSD-3) criteria. The study population is stratified into three groups: those with a known diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); those without a diagnosis of ASD/ADHD but who meet the definition of ‘subthreshold ASD’ or ‘subthreshold ADHD’; those with neither diagnosed ASD/ADHD nor ‘subthreshold’ ASD/ADHD. Study participants are randomised 1:1:1:1 to daridorexant 10 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg or placebo for at least 14 days. The change from baseline to Day 1 in total sleep time, measured by polysomnography, is the primary endpoint used to characterise the dose-response relationship of daridorexant in paediatric subjects with insomnia disorder. The study also assesses the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, palatability and acceptability of daridorexant. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the respective health authorities and institutional review boards/independent ethics committees for each participating site and country and is conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethics approval has been obtained for each participating country/site. Regardless of the outcomes, the results will be published in an international peer-reviewed scientific journal. Trial registration number NCT05423717 .

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