An accomplished psychiatrist with over three decades of experience in research, academics, and clinical practice, Wayne Macfadden, MD, serves as the medical director of International Psychiatric Services, which he co-founded with his wife. Wayne Macfadden, MD, also serves as the Global Medical Affairs, Sleep Therapeutic area lead at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, where he focuses on developing data to inform on the medical use for oxybate to treat sleep disorders.

Sodium oxybate is an active agent in some drugs for treating sleeping disorders. Doctors sometimes prescribe sodium oxybate for patients with excessive daytime sleepiness, which is characterized by a persistent desire and need to sleep during the daytime. Sodium oxybate also helps mitigate or manage cataplexy, which is a medical condition that causes sporadic and temporary muscle weakness or loss of muscle control.

To mitigate the risk of adverse side effects from sodium oxybate, the drug is under restricted distribution programs. In the US, only select pharmacies sell this drug, according to the Mayo Clinic. A doctor’s prescription is necessary to limit adverse drug interactions, allergies, and complications due to other medical problems such as alcohol abuse, liver disease, kidney disease, and obesity.