Suvorexant: targeting orexin to augment exposure therapy in veterans with ptsd and insomnia

Northern California Institute For Research And Education, Inc. (NCIRE) received a $2.95 million Project Grant from the Defense Health Agency under the Military Medical Research and Development program (CFDA 12.420) awarded September 1, 2025. The grant supports a four-year research initiative examining Suvorexant, an orexin-targeting pharmaceutical agent, as an augmentation therapy to exposure therapy for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid insomnia. The research will be conducted at NCIRE's facility in San Francisco, California, with an ultimate completion date of August 31, 2029. This project aligns with the Defense Health Agency's mission to support hypothesis-driven biomedical research addressing critical health challenges affecting military service members through innovative medical solutions.

The award funds the design, execution, and analysis of clinical research investigating the efficacy of combining suvorexant with evidence-based psychological intervention for veteran populations experiencing both PTSD and sleep disturbances. As a research organization affiliated with the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System and the University of California, San Francisco, NCIRE will leverage its established infrastructure and interdisciplinary scientific expertise to deliver comprehensive research services including study design, data analysis, and generation of findings intended to advance treatment approaches for veterans' mental health and sleep disorders.