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Narcolepsy & Hypersomnia

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Do you suffer from chronic fatigue or excessive sleepiness? This may indicate a sleep disorder such as narcolepsy or hypersomnia.

Narcolepsy is a sleep-wake disorder in which you experience unexpected sleep attacks. Symptoms include:

  • Excessive sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks
  • Sleep hallucinations
  • Disturbed night sleep

Hypersomnia is characterized by continuous sleepiness, even after a full night's sleep. People with hypersomnia experience:

  • Persistent fatigue, even after adequate sleep
  • Repeatedly falling asleep during the day
  • Difficulty concentrating due to extreme fatigue

Current treatments often focus on the symptoms but not the cause of the disorders.

New research

We are testing a new drug in patients with narcolepsy (type 2) and hypersomnia compared to a placebo. This treatment targets the cause rather than the symptoms.

At Anima Research Center in Alken, Limburg, we offer study projects with 24-hour medical and psychological supervision and private sleeping quarters.

Interested in participating? Sign up without obligation.

Target

  • Age: 18-70 years old
  • Diagnosis of Narcolepsy Type 2*
  • Diagnosis of Hypersomnia*

* Diagnosis can also be made with us

Location

Sleep lab at Anima Research Center
Alkerstraat 30, building B
3570 Alken, Belgium

Reimbursement

Each participation in a clinical study is compensated. The compensation varies per study.





The study program begins this November and will likely last 1 to 2 years. Participants will attend
the program for a minimum of 13 and a maximum of 24 weeks, with several weeks of preliminary research beforehand.

The duration of an appointment varies depending on the scheduled examinations. It can last from a few hours to a maximum of 3
days, with 2 consecutive overnight stays possible.

The study will take place in the sleep unit of the Anima Research Center, Alkerstraat 30, Building B, 3570 Alken,
Belgium.

The investigational medication works through a new mechanism in the brain that better matches the sleep-wake rhythm. As a result, we expect fewer side effects than with current medication.

Yes, participants are fully reimbursed for expenses incurred and for the time and effort they
invest in the study.

Yes, at the scientific congress SLEEP 2024 in Houston, USA, very encouraging results
were presented on both the efficacy and side effects of this innovative treatment.

  • Psychological and medical support, with attention to any psychiatric comorbidity such as
    anxiety symptoms.
  • Privacy of a private room in a non-hospital setting.
  • Access to a new drug treatment that acts directly on the biological mechanism of
    narcolepsy.
  • Ability to change medications under supervision.

Most of your current medications can be continued except those that directly affect your
narcolepsy. These will be replaced with the study medication, under intensive and expert
supervision. If necessary, the medication switch can always be reversed during the study.

Research physicians can provide a legally valid certificate of work incapacity, which cannot be disputed
.

The investigational medication targets the cause of narcolepsy and offers a causal treatment
rather than just symptom relief. The new treatment aims to address all symptoms with one
medication by solving the root of the problem.

The most common side effects to date are mild to moderate sleep difficulties, increased
urination and salivation, most of which are transient. No side effects have been reported in the
area of appetite and weight gain.

People with obesity were excluded from participation because the distribution of the study medication in them
may vary significantly, which could affect the study results.

Although the investigational medication may also potentially be effective for patients with ideopathic hypersomnia,
they cannot participate in this study at this time.