Eugeroic

Eugeroics (originally "eugrégorique" or "eugregoric"), also known as wakefulness-promoting agents and wakefulness-promoting drugs, are a class of drugs that promote wakefulness and alertness. They are medically indicated for the treatment of certain sleep disorders including excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Eugeroics are also often prescribed off-label for the treatment of EDS in idiopathic hypersomnia. In contrast to classical psychostimulants, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine, which are also used in the treatment of these disorders, eugeroics typically do not produce marked euphoria, and, consequently, have a lower addictive potential.

Modafinil and armodafinil are each thought to act as selective, weak, atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitors (DRI), whereas adrafinil acts as a prodrug for modafinil. Other eugeroics include solriamfetol, which acts as a norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI), and pitolisant, which acts as a histamine 3 (H3) receptor antagonist/inverse agonist.

Recent research
Cephalon, the original U.S. market rights holder of modafinil, has demonstrated initiative in the development of a successor to the prototypical eugeroic. Of the more than twenty compounds preclinically tested in Cephalon's three-part drug discovery series, the compound fluorenol was selected as a lead. Fluorenol was found to induce wakefulness to a greater degree than modafinil, despite possessing a lower affinity for the dopamine transporter.

All currently marketed eugeroics are classified as central nervous system stimulants and possess some (attenuated) stimulant-like properties. It is expected that future developments will further distinguish eugeroics from classical CNS stimulants.

Marketed

 * Armodafinil (Nuvigil)
 * Modafinil (Provigil)
 * Pitolisant (Wakix)
 * Solriamfetol (Sunosi)

Discontinued

 * Adrafinil (Olmifon)

Never marketed

 * Flmodafinil (CRL-40,940)
 * Fluorafinil (CRL-40,941)
 * Fluorenol
 * Methylbisfluoromodafinil

In development

 * Selective orexin receptor agonists (two are currently under development by Takeda, danavorexton and TAK-994)
 * CE-123 is under patent by Red Bull.