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Armodafinil (Nuvigil)

Eugeroicprescriptionoral · inferred

The longer-lived R-enantiomer of modafinil, prescribed to improve wakefulness in narcolepsy, shift-work disorder, and residual sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea. It is rapidly absorbed when fasting, reaches steady state in about seven days, and has an approximately 15-hour terminal half-life. It can induce CYP3A4/5 and inhibit CYP2C19, creating clinically relevant drug-interaction risks.

Projected serum levels — 150 mg, once daily

Armodafinil (Nuvigil)
Armodafinil (Nuvigil) modeled serum levels, 150 mg once daily over 15 days Population-based pharmacokinetic estimate. Steady state reached after approximately 3 days. 0 50 100 150 200 Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 11 Day 15 Time on a regular schedule ≈ steady state · day 3
Armodafinil (Nuvigil) modeled serum levels with a loading dose of 226 mg, then 150 mg once daily The first dose is larger so levels approach steady state faster. 0 50 100 150 200 Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 11 Day 15 Time on a regular schedule

Maintenance schedule: 150 mg once daily (oral).

Loading schedule: 226 mg on day 1, then 150 mg once daily — reaching therapeutic levels sooner.

Modeled steady state after ~3 days: peak ≈ 125 mg, trough ≈ 49.9 mg body load. Population-based estimate over 15 days for a 150 mg dose at a 70 kg reference body mass — the interactive app scales curves to your doses, timing, and body mass.

Key facts

Category
Eugeroic
Route modeled
Oral
Model confidence
inferred
Half-life
16 h
Common dose
150 mg
Suggested maximum
250 mg/day
Reference dose range
50–250 mg (single dose)
Suggested cadence
once daily
Validated against
250 mg oral — Cmax 7.0 mg/L at 2.3 h

Research behind this entry

  1. Pharmacokinetic profile of armodafinil in healthy subjects: pooled analysis of data from three randomized studies Darwish M et al. · Clinical Drug Investigation, 2009 DOI

    Pooled analysis of 119 healthy participants receiving 50-400 mg found linear pharmacokinetics, fasting Tmax near 2 hours, an approximately 15-hour mean half-life, and steady state within seven days. Food delayed the…

  2. Armodafinil for treatment of excessive sleepiness associated with shift work disorder: a randomized controlled study Czeisler CA et al. · Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2009 DOI

    In adults with chronic shift-work disorder, armodafinil 150 mg increased mean nighttime sleep latency from 2.3 to 5.3 minutes versus 2.4 to 2.8 minutes with placebo (p<0.001). It also improved diary-rated sleepiness,…

  3. Pharmacodynamic effects on alertness of single doses of armodafinil in healthy subjects during a nocturnal period of acute sleep loss Dinges DF et al. · Current Medical Research and Opinion, 2006 DOI

    Double-blind trial in 107 sleep-deprived healthy men compared armodafinil 100-300 mg, modafinil 200 mg, and placebo. At equal 200 mg doses, armodafinil produced similar peak exposure but higher concentrations from 6-14…

3 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.