Modafinil is an analeptic

Analeptic

An analeptic, in medicine, is a central nervous system stimulant medication. The term analeptic may also refer specifically to a respiratory analeptic , a drug that acts on the central nervous system to stimulate the breathing muscles, improving respiration.Historically, the term has referred to...

 drug manufactured by Cephalon

Cephalon

Cephalon, Inc. is a U.S. biopharmaceutical company co-founded in 1987 by Dr. Frank Baldino, Jr., a pharmacologist and former scientist with the DuPont Company, who served as the company's chairman and chief executive officer until his death in December 2010...

, and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Food and Drug Administration

The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...

 (FDA) for the treatment of narcolepsy

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder, or dyssomnia, characterized by excessive sleepiness and sleep attacks at inappropriate times, such as while at work. People with narcolepsy often experience disturbed nocturnal sleep and an abnormal daytime sleep pattern, which often is confused with insomnia...

, shift work sleep disorder

Shift work sleep disorder

Shift work sleep disorder is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder characterized by insomnia and excessive sleepiness affecting people whose work hours are scheduled during the typical sleep period...

, and excessive daytime sleepiness

Excessive daytime sleepiness

Excessive daytime sleepiness is characterized by persistent sleepiness, and often a general lack of energy, even after apparently adequate night time sleep...

 associated with obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is the most common type of sleep apnea and is caused by obstruction of the upper airway. It is characterized by repetitive pauses in breathing during sleep, despite the effort to breathe, and is usually associated with a reduction in...

. Because of the risk for development of skin or hypersensitivity reactions and neuropsychiatric disorders, the European Medicines Agency

European Medicines Agency

The European Medicines Agency is a European agency for the evaluation of medicinal products. From 1995 to 2004, the European Medicines Agency was known as European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products.Roughly parallel to the U.S...

 has recommended that new patient prescriptions should only be to treat sleepiness associated with narcolepsy. Because serious side effects will usually, if at all, appear within the first 12 weeks the guidance did not require patients already receiving treatment to stop.

Despite extensive research into the interaction of modafinil with a large number of neurotransmitter systems, a precise mechanism or set of mechanisms of action remains unclear.