DORA
Medical abbreviation · Drug Class
| Stands for | Dual orexin receptor antagonist |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
DORA stands for Dual orexin receptor antagonist, a drug class abbreviation.
Newer insomnia drugs, suvorexant (Belsomra), lemborexant (Dayvigo) and daridorexant (Quviviq), that block orexin, a brain chemical that promotes wakefulness, rather than inducing sedation through GABA.
Example: Trial DORA (lemborexant 5 mg) at bedtime; avoid driving if drowsy next morning.
Usage notes
Suvorexant was the first, approved in 2014. DORAs are Schedule IV and are contraindicated in narcolepsy, a condition caused by loss of orexin neurons. Side effects include next-day sleepiness and, rarely, sleep paralysis or hallucinations at sleep onset. They do not appear to cause the complex sleep behaviors linked to Z-drugs.
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This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.