Modafinil, A Unique Wake-Promoting Drug: A Serendipitous Discovery in Search of a Mechanism of Action

Modafinil, a unique wake-promoting drug, resulted from a serendipitous discovery when, in the 1970s, the Research Department of Laboratoire Louis Lafon was focused on the discovery of antiinflammatory drugs. The stimulant effect of one of these new compound entities (NCEs), adrafinil, was unexpectedly found during experimentation. This discovery led Laboratoire Lafon to synthesize more potent and longer-lasting NCEs, among which modafinil was the most promising. Additional data were then generated to substantiate the stimulant and awakening effects of modafinil and to differentiate it from classical stimulants like amphetamine. The demonstration of the wake-promoting activity of modafinil led to its therapeutic use in narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.