Improving Quality of Life for People Living with Narcolepsy

At Takeda, we were exploring a new therapy for Narcolepsy—a complex and often debilitating condition that disrupts the natural sleep-wake cycle. Our goal was to deeply understand the lived experience of those with Narcolepsy and uncover opportunities to improve their quality of life.

We partnered directly with individuals living with the condition, building empathy through in-depth conversations about their daily challenges, coping strategies, and unmet needs. Through interviews with twenty participants, we uncovered key themes around self-care, medication, triggers, healthcare relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

A powerful insight emerged: despite the impact of Narcolepsy, there were very few resources or communities to support those affected. The greatest opportunity we identified was to help people better understand their own condition through tracking that was automatic and manual as well as community support to feel less alone.

This work was still in development when I transitioned out of Takeda, but it laid the foundation for meaningful, human-centered innovation in this space.