Prescription Drugs | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/prescription-drugs/RSS feed for Prescription DrugsenTue, 18 Aug 2026 19:18:35 +0000This Newly Approved Narcolepsy Drug Is the First to Target the Sleep Disorder's Root Cause Rather Than Its Symptomshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-approved-narcolepsy-drug-is-the-first-to-target-the-sleep-disorders-root-cause-rather-than-its-symptoms-180989362/The Food and Drug Administration just greenlit a medication called Orzeyful for the treatment of narcolepsy type 1 in adults. The condition is caused by the loss of brain cells that produce orexin, a chemical important for regulating the sleep-wake cycleTue, 18 Aug 2026 19:18:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-approved-narcolepsy-drug-is-the-first-to-target-the-sleep-disorders-root-cause-rather-than-its-symptoms-180989362/Experimental Alzheimer's Drug That Fights a Tough-to-Target Protein Shows Promise at Slowing Cognitive Decline in a Clinical Trialhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experimental-alzheimers-drug-that-fights-a-tough-to-target-protein-shows-promise-at-slowing-cognitive-decline-in-a-clinical-trial-180989177/Recently FDA-approved treatments work to clear clumps of the protein amyloid beta in the brain. A drug that instead goes after tangles of the protein tau can yield similar cognitive outcomes, a new study suggestsThu, 23 Jul 2026 19:32:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experimental-alzheimers-drug-that-fights-a-tough-to-target-protein-shows-promise-at-slowing-cognitive-decline-in-a-clinical-trial-180989177/