Transcept Pharmaceuticals Inc has been awarded the first patent covering the composition and method of use of Intermezzo, a sleep aid for use in the middle of the night, by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Transcept announced the issuance of a Notice of Allowance for claims under the application for this patent, US Patent Application Serial No. 11/060,641, on December 14, 2009. The newly issued patent, US Patent No. 7,658,945, titled "Compositions for Delivering Hypnotic Agents Across the Oral Mucosa and Methods of Use Thereof," will expire no earlier than February 2025.