José Lopes, PhD, managing science editor —

The European Commission has approved Epidyolex (cannabidiol) as an add-on therapy to clobazam (brand names Onfi and Sympazan) for the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome and Lennox‑Gastaut syndrome (LGS) in patients 2 and older. This decision, which follows the favorable opinion of the…

Targeting a specific brain area called the reticular thalamic nucleus may be an effective treatment for non-convulsive seizures in children with Dravet syndrome, according to a mouse study. The study, “Augmented Reticular Thalamic Bursting and Seizures in Scn1a-Dravet Syndrome,” was published in the journal Cell Reports. Non-convulsive…

Distinct mutations in the SCN1A gene are associated with different degrees of impairment in specific brain nerve cells as well as symptom severity in people with Dravet syndrome, according to a recent study. The research, “Differential effects on sodium current impairments by distinct SCN1A mutations in…

Add-on oral treatment with Epidiolex (cannabidiol) significantly lowered the frequency of convulsive seizures in patients with Dravet syndrome, according to topline results of a Phase 3 clinical trial. The study (NCT02224703) was the second double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial of GW Pharmaceuticals’ Epidiolex in the treatment of…

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy can lead to more than $77,000 in cost savings over five years for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), compared to anti-epileptic treatments, according to new research. The study, “Expected Budget Impact and Health Outcomes of Expanded Use of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy…

A new system of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy was implanted in the first patient with drug-resistant epilepsy, as part of a global registry launched by LivaNova to evaluate the treatment in a real-world setting. The CORE-VNS registry (NCT03529045) plans to include up to 2,000 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy to be…

Continuous use of antiepileptic medications leads to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to a recent study. These findings may have implications for the treatment of Dravet syndrome, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and other disorders. The study, “Use of Antiepileptic Drugs and Dementia Risk — an…

Current first-line therapies for Dravet syndrome have limited effectiveness, but treatment candidates now undergoing clinical testing show significant promise, researchers suggest in a recent review. The study, “Treatment Strategies for Dravet Syndrome,” was published in the journal CNS Drugs. Accurate diagnosis of Dravet syndrome is possible within the…

An RNA splicing technique that Stoke Therapeutics is developing led to the production of a protein that’s lacking in Dravet syndrome, a study in mice showed. Stoke discussed the approach at the Oligonucleotide & Peptide Therapeutics Conference in Boston, March 26-28. Dr. Charles R. Allerson, Stoke’s vice president of chemistry, delivered the…

Increased brain levels of a protein involved in inflammation were found to suppress seizures in mice, a finding that may have potential for the treatment of types of epilepsy, including Dravet syndrome. The study, “Maintenance of the Innate Seizure Threshold by Cyclooxygenase-2 is Not Influenced by the…