I had the honor of speaking with Barbara Morse Silva for WJAR about my experience living with narcolepsy and my hopes for the newly FDA approved narcolepsy treatment, Orzeyful.
Orzeyful is an orexin receptor 2 agonist developed by Takeda to treat type 1 narcolepsy. You can read more about this medication in Takeda’s Press Release, on the Project Sleep Website or by watching WJAR’s video!
I’ve been tracking the progress of this new drug therapy for years, and I have to admit that it feels surreal to be at this point. When I first heard discussion around the idea of orexin agonists, it seemed like such a far-off dream.
Current medication options target specific symptoms of narcolepsy. This can mean a lot of trial and error to try to find the right combination of medications to treat symptoms without too many side-effects. Despite all of the effort put in to develop my current treatment plan, there’s a lot left to be desired. While my stimulants prevent me from falling asleep, I still feel sleepy a lot of the time. I often find myself in a frustrating situation where I feel sleepy but I can’t nap because the stimulants are keeping me awake (but not refreshed).
I’m so excited to try an orexin agonist. This new class of medication targets the cause of narcolepsy, rather than just addressing individual symptoms. I’m hopeful about the chance to feel relief from ALL of my symptoms, not just the ones that were previously medically recognized and treatable.