The World Health Organization's ATC classification organizes medical drugs based on therapeutic properties, chemical composition, and anatomy. It helps make essential medicines readily available globally and is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry.
| Level | Code | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
1
|
N | Nervous system | |
2
|
N01 | Anesthetics | |
3
|
N01A | Anesthetics, general | |
4
|
N01AX | Other general anesthetics | |
5
|
N01AX11 | Hydroxybutyric acid |
| Active Ingredient |
|---|
|
Sodium oxybate is a central nervous system depressant which reduces excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy and modifies sleep architecture reducing fragmented nighttime sleep. The precise mechanism by which sodium oxybate produces an effect is unknown, however sodium oxybate is thought to act by promoting slow (delta) wave sleep and consolidating night-time sleep. |