Sleep awareness week (8th – 14th March) is an annual campaign created by the National Sleep Foundation to highlight the importance of healthy sleep and to encourage the public to prioritise better sleep habits. This year the campaign is reemphasising the important connection between your sleep and your health and well-being. To celebrate this awareness week, HRW Synapse would like to showcase the potential future role of Orexins. Orexins (also called hypocretins) are neuropeptides produced in the hypothalamus. They play a key excitatory role in arousal, wakefulness, and appetite. Treatments that block the effect of orexins (called dual orexin receptor antagonists, or DORAs) have been shown to reduce the signalling that promotes wakefulness, thereby facilitating sleep. Currently, these treatments are being researched to treat sleep disorders such as insomnia or narcolepsy. There are several key orexin agonists that are currently in clinical development. These include: -Oveporexton (TAK-861): currently in phase 3 trials and has met all primary and secondary endpoints in Narcolepsy type 1 (including wakefulness, cataplexy, daytime sleepiness, and quality of life measures) -Alixorexton (ALKS 2680): currently in phase 2 trials and shows statistically significant, dose‑dependent improvements in wakefulness and normalisation of excessive daytime sleepiness in Narcolepsy type 1 Researchers are also exploring the broader therapeutic potential of orexin agonists beyond sleep disorders, similar to how GLP‑1 therapies have expanded across multiple health domains. Enhancing orexin signalling may offer future benefits in mood disorders and neurodegenerative conditions. One example includes: -ORX-142: currently in phase 1 trials for the treatment of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders While these emerging therapies may one day support healthier sleep–wake cycles, Sleep Awareness Week serves as a reminder that our daily habits still play a foundational role. We’d love to hear from you, what steps are you taking to improve your sleep? To learn more about Orexins and how these developments may impact your therapeutic area, fill in the Contact form below or reach out to our neuroscience experts directly at HRW_Synapse@hrwhealthcare.com Apply Now!