Wake-up haul: an Ozempic moment for the brain episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 19, 2026 · 22 MIN

Wake-up haul: an Ozempic moment for the brain

from The Intelligence from The Economist

Orexins are peptides involved in the body’s sleep-wake system—and are big pharma’s next big thing. Like multi-purpose GLPs, they may have far more uses than just regulating shuteye. We ask why Japan’s post-war innovation boom petered out, and what must be done to breed more unicorns. And why procrastination seems to be on the rise, and how to beat it.Guests and host:Shailesh Chitnis, global business correspondentEthan Wu, Asia business and finance editorBenjamin Sutherland, science writerRosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: orexins, peptides, sleep disorders, pharmaceuticalsJapan, innovation, startupsprocrastinationListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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