Narcolepsy On NBC10: Richelle Topping Featured in Health Segment on Breakthrough Treatment

Project Sleep is proud to spotlight Rising Voices speaker and Board member Richelle Topping, who was recently featured in an NBC10 Health Check segment covering the FDA approval of oveporexton (commercial name Orzeyful), a groundbreaking medication designed to address the underlying biological cause of narcolepsy type 1.

In the NBC10 interview, Richelle shared her long journey to diagnosis and the wide range of symptoms she experienced over nearly two decades. “I was having a lot of difficulty staying awake. I was also experiencing cataplexy occasionally… I also had hallucinations and sleep paralysis when falling asleep or when waking up,” she explained. Richelle noted that she lived with symptoms for 18 years before finally receiving a narcolepsy diagnosis at age 33.

The narcolepsy NBC10 segment also featured Dr. Matthew Davis, neurologist and sleep expert, who described narcolepsy as “an unstable switch between sleep, wake and dream.” He emphasized that people with narcolepsy are constantly caught between these states, and highlighted why oveporexton represents a major scientific milestone. The medication activates orexin, the “master switch” chemical responsible for stabilizing the brain’s sleep‑wake system.

The FDA approval of Orzeyful (oveporexton) marks a significant step forward for the narcolepsy community. Richelle expressed hope about the new treatment, saying she is excited for an option that “treats the root cause instead of playing whack‑a‑mole with these different symptoms.” 

Watch Richelle’s NBC10 Narcolepsy Segment:

Thank you to Richelle for sharing her powerful story and raising vital awareness, and to Dr. Matthew Davis for offering clear, engaging scientific insight. We’re also deeply grateful to NBC10 for its thoughtful narcolepsy coverage and for encouraging viewers to seek support and resources through Project Sleep, a patient‑led nonprofit dedicated to improving outcomes for people living with sleep disorders.

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