Gaboxadol shows promise as a sleeping pill for the treatment of insomnia, demonstrating in mid-stage clinical trials the ability to help patients achieve deep, or slow-wave sleep. Gaboxadol is a direct-acting Agonist of GABA-A receptor, which are believed to be involved in the regulation of sleep.

Statistically significant increases in deep sleep were seen with gaboxadol at all four tested doses compared to a placebo, but the drug appeared to be more effective at the higher 10 milligram, 15 mg, and 20 mg than at the lowest 5 mg dose, researchers said.

"What's most interesting is we have consistent effects on slow-wave sleep with gaboxadol. That is something unlike all the other treatments currently on the market," Stephen Deacon, head of clinical development, sleep disorders, for Lundbeck and a lead investigator of one of the studies, said in an interview.

Aside from its restorative effects, deep sleep were also found to play a role in memory formation.

Gaboxadol is aan experimental sleeping pill being co-developed by Merck and Danish H. biopharmaceutical firm Lundbeck A/S. More details about the clinical study from Reuters.