Treatment of sleep apnea with a combination of a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor and an aldosterone antagonist: a patent evaluation of CA2958110 and IN6616DEN2012.

INTRODUCTION: Sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS), is a sleep disorder and characterized by very shallow breath or repetitive cessation of breathing during sleep (sleep apnoea). At present, no pharmacological agents have proved to be successful against SAS, and the syndrome is only treated by surgical interventions or devices such as intraoral mandibular advancement and Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) techniques. Areas covered: two patents published in 2016 describing a new pharmacological application of inhibitors of the metalloenzyme Carbonic Anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) and an aldosterone antagonist agents and their therapeutic application was analysed. Expert opinion: The present patents address an important healthcare problem by proposing a new pharmacological approach and may represent a valid alternative for the treatment of sleep apnea. One of the interesting points raised by these patents is the advantage of using a minor quantity of pharmacological agents in combination than active agent alone and consequently, a significant reduction of the side effects.