Driving Innovation for Narcolepsy Type 1| Takeda Stories

Each individual’s experience with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) can differ in terms of symptoms and their severity. Exhibiting some of these symptoms does not necessarily indicate narcolepsy. Please consult your healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns about NT1 and its symptoms. Takeda does not have any products approved for the treatment of NT1.

Narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) is a rare, chronic, neurological disease marked by symptoms that can significantly impact daily life^1-3. These symptoms can include excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden loss of muscle tone (cataplexy) often triggered by strong emotions, disrupted nighttime sleep, temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up (sleep paralysis), and hallucinations that occur as one falls asleep or wakes up^4,6. Additionally, many people with NT1 experience difficulty thinking, remembering, and concentrating or paying attention³.

The regulation of the sleep-wake cycle can be thought of as a light switch: it's "on" during the day when we are awake and alert, and "off" at night, facilitating Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, which is associated with numerous sleep health benefits. This cycle is regulated by the orexin system in the brain, composed of neurons that produce the chemical messenger orexin (also known as hypocretin)⁵. When the orexin system is functioning properly, orexin messengers bind to orexin receptors on neighboring neurons, in this way transmitting signals that help regulate the sleep-wake cycle and REM sleep transitions^4-5.

However, people with NT1 experience a loss of orexin neurons, leading to low levels of orexin, and impacting downstream signaling^4-5. This disruption causes unintended sleep episodes and a disturbed sleep-wake cycle^4-5. Some NT1 individuals have described their sleep-wake cycle light switch as “always flickering, instead of being on during the day and off at night.”

Scientists at Takeda and elsewhere are conducting research that aims to advance our understanding of the role of orexin signaling in people with sleep-wake disorders like NT1.

Elena Koundourakis, PhD, vice president and global orexin franchise lead, expresses her commitment to addressing the unmet needs of patients with NT1: “We work very closely with the scientific community, physicians and caregivers to advance the field of orexin research. This approach extends our company’s legacy of pursuing innovative science in service of patients for more than two centuries.”

Watch the 3-min video on this page to learn more about the orexin system in the brain, the role it plays in the sleep-wake cycle and how it’s impacted in people living with NT1.

References:

1. International Classification of Sleep Disorders (third edition) – text revisions. AASM; 2023.
2. Sleep-wake disorders: narcolepsy. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – fifth edition (DSM-5). American Psychiatric Association; 2013: 372-382.
3. US FDA. Narcolepsy & Idiopathic Hypersomnia: FDA Patient-Led Listening Session Summary Report. Accessed August 6, 2024.
4. Scammell TE. N Engl J Med. 2015;373(27):2654-2662. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1500587.
5. Sakurai T. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2007;8(3):171-181. doi :10.1038/nrn2092.

6. Bassetti CLA et al., Nature Reviews Neurology 2019(15):519-539.

   ^{C-ANPROM/INT/NSP/0010}