Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

Treatment with Fintepla (fenfluramine) appeared to be reasonably safe and to effectively lower seizure frequency in five young children with Dravet syndrome who started on the therapy before they were 2 years old, scientists in Italy reported. These findings are especially noteworthy because, in…

Available treatments aren’t enough to fully control seizures for most people with Dravet syndrome, and most have side effects that can worsen their quality of life. That’s according to a new study funded by Takeda. A team led by scientists at the company presented the work at the…

Epidiolex (cannabidiol), an approved treatment for seizures in Dravet syndrome, may in some rare cases cause side effects including clusters of seizures, vision impairment, and problems with speech. That’s according to a new study, “Adverse Events of Epidiolex: A Real-world Drug Safety Surveillance Study based…

Treatment with a noninvasive procedure called transcranial static magnetic stimulation (tSMS) led to significantly less seizure activity in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome. “Our results show that tSMS, a non-invasive neuromodulatory technique, can reduce the number, duration, and severity of [seizures] in a mouse model of” Dravet,…

Diacomit (stiripentol), known to help control seizures in people with Dravet syndrome, also may aid those with other childhood disorders marked by hard-to-treat seizures, according to a study out of Spain. “Although further prospective studies are needed, our findings suggest that add-on [Diacomit] may be a therapeutic option for…

The frequency of seizures decreased substantially for most children with medication-resistant epileptic disorders such as Dravet syndrome at a Chinese center after they were put on the ketogenic diet. It was fairly common for the seizures to reappear after a few months, however. “The findings suggest that the…

Epidiolex (cannabidiol) reduces the frequency of seizures for most people with Dravet syndrome and also leads to gains in cognitive function, communication, and behavior for many patients, according to a study based on interviews with caregivers. “Caregivers’ Perspectives on the Impact of Cannabidiol (CBD) Treatment for Dravet…

Treatment with STK-001 led to a marked reduction in seizure frequency, and aided cognition and behavior, among children and adolescents with Dravet syndrome in early clinical trials, according to new findings announced by the therapy’s developer Stoke Therapeutics. “Together these data support the potential for STK-001 to…

A novel gene therapy developed by a team of scientists was able to reduce seizures, improve cognitive scores, and extend survival in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome, a new study reports. The therapy showed beneficial effects even when administered after the animals had already begun experiencing seizures. “The…

Researchers have created a new rat model of Dravet syndrome that captures early features of the disease that may make it more suitable for long-term studies than other models. The study, “A novel rat model of Dravet syndrome recapitulates clinical hallmarks,” was published in Neurobiology of…