CEPHALON'S SLEEP DISORDER DRUG GETS EXPANDED APPROVAL

Cephalon announced that German regulators have expanded the approval of the company's sleep disorder treatment to include a condition called "chronic shift work sleep disorder."

The drug -- sold as Provigil in the U.S. and as Vigil in Germany -- improves wakefulness by activating specific parts of the brain's cortex. Provigil is already approved to treat sleep disorders related to working nontraditional hours in the U.S. and two other European countries.

The drug has been available in Germany since 1998, when it was introduced as a narcolepsy drug.