The AASM Foundation is delighted to celebrate multiple milestones as we celebrate our 25th Anniversary of Championing a Bright Future in Sleep Health. Jazz Pharmaceuticals, our lead corporate donor, is celebrating 20 years of leading innovations in sleep medicine.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals is one of the AASM Foundation’s leading corporate supporters. We asked Bruce Cozadd, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, a few questions about how Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ goals and approach to improving patient care align with the AASM Foundation’s strategic plan.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals and the AASM Foundation are both celebrating major anniversaries this year. Can you tell us more about your legacy in sleep medicine?
Jazz is proud to have a legacy in sleep medicine that spans nearly two decades. One of our most significant contributions to the field has been the development of a novel medication that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of rare sleep disorders. Specifically, this medication has been shown to be effective in managing excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy associated with narcolepsy, and in treating multiple symptoms of idiopathic hypersomnia, and has provided a valuable option for patients in need of a safer treatment option for their chronic sleep disorder.
Since then, we have continued to invest in research and development to advance the understanding and treatment of sleep disorders. We have expanded our pipeline to investigate a wider range of neurologic conditions and to one day provide more treatment options for patients. We are proud of our nearly 20-year history and how we deliver on our commitment to patients.
How would you describe Jazz’s approach to clinical development?
My colleagues and I take a patient-centric approach to clinical development. We start by listening to the needs of patients and healthcare providers to identify unmet medical needs and develop therapies that can make a meaningful difference in their lives. We then conduct rigorous clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our products, working closely with regulators and key opinion leaders to ensure that our trials are designed to meet the highest scientific and ethical standards. Throughout the development process, we collaborate closely with patients, caregivers, and advocacy organizations to ensure that their perspectives are reflected in our research and that our products address their most pressing needs and improve their outcomes. Our commitment to our community is important to us and we showcase this by advocating for greater inclusion of underrepresented and underserved communities in the scientific and biopharmaceutical arenas which can help us further address health inequities. We understand – but are not deterred by – the challenges faced by the sleep disorder community and remain dedicated to ongoing research and development to improve their quality of life. Our groundbreaking treatments enable patients to experience fuller, healthier lives.
How does Jazz partner with the broader sleep community to advance outcomes for people living with a sleep disorder?
We believe that partnership is key to advancing outcomes for people living with sleep disorders. We work closely with the broader sleep community, including patient advocacy groups, healthcare providers, researchers, and regulators, to raise awareness of the impact of sleep disorders and to drive innovation in the field. This includes sponsoring educational programs and scientific meetings, collaborating on research initiatives, and engaging with patients and caregivers to understand their needs and perspectives.
For example, for our I Have IH campaign, we partnered with the Hypersomnia Foundation to increase understanding of the debilitating sleep disorder and to empower patients to recognize their symptoms and have better conversations with their care teams. We hope that the campaign will also help to identify the unmet needs of the idiopathic hypersomnia community, reveal the true impact of idiopathic hypersomnia on quality of life, increase disease awareness among physicians, and identify breakdowns in communication between physicians and patients/supporters to improve them.
We also support patient access to our products through patient assistance programs and other initiatives, and work with payers and healthcare providers to ensure that our products are available to those who need them.
In what ways does Jazz envision research shaping the future of care for patients with rare sleep disorders?
Research is at the heart of Jazz’s vision for the future of care for patients with rare sleep disorders. We believe that by advancing our understanding of the underlying biology of these disorders, we can develop new and more effective treatments that address their root causes. To this end, we have a robust pipeline of investigational therapies in various stages of development, including therapies for narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, and other impacted neurologic disorders. It’s been two decades, but we’re only getting started. We continue to invest in our people and capabilities to discover or develop medicines reaching even more patients with unmet needs. In our nearly 20 years, we have diligently built the scientific platforms, expertise, and footprint to enable us to make an even greater impact in the years to come.
