Sodium oxybate

Sodium oxybate (Xyrem) is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant used to treat cataplexy or excessive daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy. It is a sodium salt of gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid, an endogenous cerebral inhibitory neurotransmitter and a metabolite of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. Due to its physiological effects, sodium oxybate is associated with a risk for substance misuse and abuse. Sodium oxybate has been misused to stimulate body growth and to induce euphoria, disinhibition, and sexual arousal as a "party drug" or "club drug." For safety reasons, sodium oxybate is a controlled substance only available through a restricted program in approved countries.

An extended-release oral suspension formulation of sodium oxybate for narcolepsy, marketed under the brand name LUMRYZ, gained tentative FDA approval in July 2022 and was fully approved in May 2023. In some countries, sodium oxybate has been investigated and used in alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) to aid abstinence maintenance in alcohol use disorders.