| Narcolepsy
Nuvigil vs Wakix
Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for narcolepsy.Deep comparison between: Nuvigil vs Wakix with Prescriber.AI
AI compares prescribing info and payer-specific access barriers across 1,200+ formularies. Here's a preview of what prescribers are already asking.Safety signalsWakix has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Nuvigil based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Wakix but not Nuvigil, including UnitedHealthcare
Sign up to reveal the full AI analysis
Category
Nuvigil
Wakix
At A Glance
Oral
Once daily
Wakefulness-promoting agent
Oral
Daily
H3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist
Indications
- Sleep Apnea, Obstructive
- Narcolepsy
- Shift work disorder
- Narcolepsy
- Cataplexy
Dosing
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive, Narcolepsy 150 mg to 250 mg taken orally once daily as a single dose in the morning.
Shift work disorder 150 mg taken orally once daily as a single dose approximately 1 hour prior to the start of the work shift.
Narcolepsy, Cataplexy (Adults) Initiate 8.9 mg orally once daily in the morning; increase to 17.8 mg at week 2; may increase to maximum 35.6 mg once daily at week 3.
Narcolepsy, Cataplexy (Pediatric, 6 years and older) Initiate 4.45 mg orally once daily in the morning; increase to 8.9 mg at week 2, 17.8 mg at week 3 (maximum for <40 kg); patients >=40 kg may increase to maximum 35.6 mg once daily at week 4.
Contraindications
- Known hypersensitivity to modafinil or armodafinil or its inactive ingredients
- Known hypersensitivity to pitolisant or any component of the formulation
- Severe hepatic impairment
Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=5%) Headache, nausea, dizziness, insomnia
Serious Serious dermatologic reactions, DRESS/multiorgan hypersensitivity, angioedema and anaphylaxis, persistent sleepiness, psychiatric symptoms, cardiovascular events
Postmarketing Mouth sores (including mouth blistering and ulceration)
Most common (>=5%) Insomnia, nausea, anxiety (adults); headache, insomnia (pediatric)
Serious QT interval prolongation
Postmarketing Fatigue, anaphylaxis, weight increased, dizziness, epilepsy, abnormal behavior, depression, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, pruritus
Pharmacology
Armodafinil is a wakefulness-promoting agent and indirect dopamine receptor agonist that binds to the dopamine transporter and inhibits dopamine reuptake, with wake-promoting actions similar to sympathomimetic agents, although its precise mechanism is unknown.
Pitolisant acts as an antagonist/inverse agonist at histamine-3 (H3) receptors (Ki = 1 nM) with no appreciable binding to H1, H2, or H4 receptors; its precise mechanism in narcolepsy-associated EDS or cataplexy is unclear but is thought to be mediated through H3 receptor blockade.
Enter your patient's insuranceCheck specific coverage details for your patient.
Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Nuvigil
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (10/12) · Step Therapy (10/12) · Qty limit (10/12)
Wakix
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (10/12) · Step Therapy (10/12) · Qty limit (1/12)
UnitedHealthcare
Nuvigil
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (0/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (0/8)
Wakix
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (5/8) · Step Therapy (4/8) · Qty limit (5/8)
Humana
Nuvigil
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (2/3) · Qty limit (3/3)
Wakix
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (2/3) · Qty limit (3/3)
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
No savings programs available for Nuvigil.
Cost estimate not availableAssistance Fund: Narcolepsy
Commercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
Compare Other Drugs
Let us handle your prior authsJust enter your patient's info and we'll:
- Verify eligibility with the payer.
- Pull the right PA forms directly from the payer.
- Submit, track & send live updates to your dashboard.
Free to start · HIPAA compliant
Next Steps for Your Patient
NuvigilView full Nuvigil profile
Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.