Eisai is committed to designing pharmaceuticals to target the orexin neurotransmitter system. Orexin is a neuropeptide that plays a key role in regulating wakefulness. Dysfunction of the orexin system is thought to result in disorders such as insomnia (difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep) and narcolepsy (difficulty staying awake)1. Eisai scientists have developed an approved drug that can block orexin for treating patients with insomnia and are developing a compound to activate the orexin system to treat patients with narcolepsy.
Insomnia is a serious disorder that negatively impacts how we feel the next day and is linked to long-term consequences for health and well-being2,3,4. It can even contribute to symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Narcolepsy is also a serious disease associated with profound daytime sleepiness. It can contribute to a decreased quality of life, with impairments in school, work, and social settings and an elevated risk of accidents and injuries.
We want the world to fall asleep, stay asleep, wake ready to take on the day, and stay awake during the day. That’s why we’ve prioritized research into insomnia and narcolepsy.
You may have a hard time falling asleep — or maybe you struggle to stay asleep. Either way, if you’re fighting insomnia, it’s going to affect your day.
PERCENTAGE OF ADULTS WORLDWIDE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY INSOMNIA SYMPTOMS6, WHICH CAN LEAD TO FATIGUE, DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING AND IRRITABILITY1,2, AS WELL AS INCREASED RISK OF HYPERTENSION, ACCIDENTAL INJURY, DIABETES, OBESITY, DEPRESSION, HEART ATTACK, STROKE AND DEMENTIA.2,4
Insomnia’s negative impact on health, wellness, vitality, and productivity has long been established. The US national burden of insomnia on quality-adjusted-life-years (QALYs) exceeded 18 other medical conditions such as arthritis, pain, depression, and hypertension. While over one-quarter of adults experience insomnia, only ~ 6.25% of people with insomnia report seeking professional help.
Growing evidence highlights the social burden of insomnia on relationships, families, partners, and caretakers. In this video, Dr. Wendy Troxel, a Social Scientist from the Rand Corporation, discusses a novel understanding of the dynamic links between insomnia, relationship functioning and health.
Are you struggling to stay awake during the day? Do you have sudden episodes where your muscles feel weak? You may have narcolepsy, a neurologic disorder associated with dysfunction of the orexin system.
Narcolepsy has a BIG impact despite being a less common disorder (affecting around 25-60/100,000 people). It is a lifelong condition that significantly interferes with quality of life, including daily activities of living (i.e. chores, driving), work or school, social engagement, and mood.7 Narcolepsy is also associated with increased rates of emergency department visits, hospitalization, and other medical disorders such as heart disease, obesity, and depression.8
1Jacobson et al, 2022
2Institute of Medicine. Sleep disorders and sleep deprivation: An unmet public health problem. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. 2006.
3Ohayon MM, et al. Epidemiology of insomnia: what we know and what we still need to learn. Sleep Med Rev. 2002;6(2):97-111.
4Pase MP, Himali JJ, Grima NA, et al. Sleep architecture and the risk of incident dementia in the community. Neurology. 2017;89(12):1244-1250.
5Anderson 2021
6Roth T. Insomnia: definition, prevalence, etiology and consequences. J Clin Sleep Med. 2007;3(5 Suppl):S7–S10.
7Ohayon MM, Thorpy MJ, Carls G, Black J, Cisternas M, Pasta DJ, Bujanover S, Hyman D, Villa KF. The Nexus Narcolepsy Registry: methodology, study population characteristics, and patterns and predictors of narcolepsy diagnosis. Sleep Medicine. 2021 Aug 1;84:405-14. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945721003439#sec4
8Barateau L, Pizza F, Plazzi G, Dauvilliers Y. Narcolepsy. Journal of Sleep Research. 2022 Aug;31(4):e13631. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsr.13631?casa_token=Cvg9Sdk58PIAAAAA%3AbDLVnW46GJNyMZDSRLOWSjz41JwdChEHJRwMj2usPK-EPdP0SqYwnEUEKWv2VIwgqMlkcnDbMbJxbaI