June, 2026
We recently invited patients from Japan Narcolepsy Association (Naruko-kai) to Eisai headquarters for a seminar and roundtable discussion with our development and manufacturing staff. Naruko-kai is an organization that works toward building a society where people with narcolepsy and related conditions, along with their families, can access treatment more easily and live with greater peace of mind. To support this goal, the group organizes peer support activities, shares relevant information, and raises public awareness to deepen the understanding of these disorders.
Patient Voices
At the seminar, guest speakers Noriko Komazawa and Asami Nakane, both living with narcolepsy, along with Tomohiro Ozaki, who has idiopathic hypersomnia, shared their stories. They spoke openly about their journeys from the onset of their symptoms and the path to diagnosis, and what their daily life looks like now.
People with narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia can experience sudden attacks of severe sleepiness, even during work, meetings, or conversations with friends. But sleepiness is only part of the picture. Symptoms like difficulty concentrating, memory issues, hallucinations, and disrupted sleep at night can also take a serious toll on quality of life. Although these symptoms stem from a neurological disorder, awareness remains low, and many patients struggle to be understood by those around them
At the roundtable session, participants spoke honestly about the challenges they face.
“People at work and school misunderstand my daytime sleepiness, and think I’m just lazy or lack willpower,” one participant shared. Another remarked, “Because my symptoms are not visible from the outside, people don’t really understand. I’m just seen as someone who falls asleep easily.” Others talked about trying to hide their sleepiness, feeling that their condition isn’t recognized as an illness and struggling with isolation in their social lives. Their words painted a vivid picture of how difficult living with these conditions can be.
One comment that particularly stood out was that many social systems are built around the “majority,” and don’t always accommodate everyone. It was a powerful reminder—and an important moment for reflection.
Eisai employees actively engaged with the speakers, asking questions from the perspective of a pharmaceutical company, especially around how Eisai can better support patients in their lives.
■Employee Takeaways
After the event, employees shared reflections such as, “I realized that one of the biggest challenges for patients isn’t just the symptoms but the lack of understanding from society,” and “It helped me better understand the challenges patients go through in their daily lives, and think about what can I do to contribute.”
By listening to and learning from people living with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia, Eisai will continue to incorporate their perspective into our work, and strive to help ease the challenges they face.
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