Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

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…

June is Dravet Syndrome Awareness Month, and the community is coming together to share stories, build support, and increase knowledge about this rare form of childhood epilepsy. The Dravet Syndrome Foundation (DSF) is heading up several initiatives over the course of the month, with this year’s theme being…

Most caregivers of people with Dravet syndrome report poor sleep quality, according to a study in Germany. Reduced sleep quality was linked to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and burden, and more health conditions in patients, including moderate sleep disturbances. The impact on sleep for caregivers was substantial even…

Long-term treatment with soticlestat was found to reduce seizure frequency by more than 50% in most Dravet syndrome patients, according to about two years of data from the ongoing ENDYMION 1 clinical trial. “Soticlestat was associated with sustained seizure reductions over the interim period presented here,” researchers wrote.

The Dravet Syndrome Foundation (DSF) is funding a collaborative research project to provide a framework for artificial intelligence (AI)-based analyses of data in the published scientific literature related to Dravet syndrome. The grant provides $240,000 over the next two years to support the project. The work will be…