Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

  Epygenix Therapeutics has submitted an investigational new drug application (IND) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to assess the safety and efficacy of EPX-100, its investigational therapy for Dravet syndrome. If accepted, Epygenix expects to initiate a Phase 1 trial with healthy volunteers…

Zogenix‘s investigational therapy Fintepla (ZX008) to treat epileptic seizures associated with Dravet syndrome will be marketed in Japan by pharmaceutical company Nippon Shinyaku. Fintepla is a low-dose oral solution of fenfluramine hydrochloride, a compound derived from the stimulant amphetamine. Patients take it with other epileptic treatments…

Epidiolex (cannabidiol) oral solution is now available in the United States as a treatment for seizures in patients age 2 or older who have Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome. Epidiolex is developed by GW Pharmaceuticals and will be marketed in the U.S. by its subsidiary, Greenwich Biosciences. The anti-epileptic therapy…

Treatment with stiripentol reduces seizures and can resolve epileptic episodes, retrospective analysis of a small study in Turkish Dravet syndrome children suggests. The study, “Efficacy of Stiripentol and the Clinical Outcome in Dravet Syndrome,” was published in the Journal of Child Neurology. Stiripentol, sold as Diacomit by…

Fenfluramine, originally developed as an appetite suppressant, shows potential as an anti-epileptic therapy to reduce the seizure rate in Dravet syndrome patients, a review study suggests. The study, “Individualized treatment approaches: Fenfluramine, a novel antiepileptic medication for the treatment of seizures in Dravet syndrome,” was published in…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Fycompa (perampanel) — alone or as an add-on — for the treatment of focal seizures, which affect only one part of the brain, with or without secondary generalized seizures, in children ages 4 and older. The approval includes Fycompa administered as a…

Supernus Pharmaceuticals now holds the worldwide rights — except in certain markets in Asia — to develop the investigational therapy BIS-001ER, renamed SPN-817, for Dravet syndrome, after a merger agreement to acquire Biscayne Neurotherapeutics, according to a press release. “We are excited to add…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Biocodex’s Diacomit (stiripentol) as an add-on therapy for seizures associated with Dravet syndrome in patients 2 years and older who are undergoing treatment with Onfi (clobazam), an anticonvulsant therapy marketed by Lundbeck. Diacomit is used as an adjunctive (add-on) therapy for treating …

Long-term use of sodium channel blockers in the first five years of disease has been linked to poorer cognitive function in Dravet syndrome patients. The study, “Influence of contraindicated medication use on cognitive outcome in Dravet syndrome and age at first afebrile seizure as a clinical predictor in…

The ketogenic diet, which is high in fats and low in carbs, helped reduce the frequency of seizures and improve cognitive function in children with Dravet syndrome who are resistant to standard therapies, a small study in China found. The study, “Prospective study of the efficacy of a ketogenic…