News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough therapy designation to Longboard Pharmaceuticals‘ bexicaserin to treat seizures associated with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), including Dravet syndrome, in patients 2 and older. The designation is meant to accelerate the development and regulatory review of medications intended to…

Epidiolex (cannabidiol) can help to reduce seizure frequency in some adults with generalized or localized forms of epilepsy — including Dravet syndrome — that are resistant to other anti-seizures medications, according to a retrospective study in France. Among the 27% of patients who responded to this treatment, most…

Treatment with the experimental oral therapy bexicaserin led to sustained reductions in seizure frequency for children with Dravet syndrome and other types of developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), according to new data from the PACIFIC Phase 1/2a clinical trial and its open-label extension study. The findings were announced by…

A Phase 3 clinical trial testing soticlestat in people with Dravet syndrome showed that patients given soticlestat tended to have fewer seizures than those given a placebo, but the difference did not quite reach statistical significance, so the study missed its main goal. While the treatment didn’t meet…

Add-on therapies Diacomit (stiripentol) and Fintepla (fenfluramine) were found to be more effective for seizure control in Dravet syndrome patients than Epidiolex (cannabidiol) in a recent indirect analysis of clinical trial data. Overall, Diacomit was best for stopping seizures altogether, and was associated with fewer treatment…

From honoring those lost to Dravet syndrome to sharing facts on social media, supporters are marking Dravet Syndrome Awareness Month, observed each June to call attention to the genetic disorder that affects an estimated one in 20,000 to 40,000 individuals globally. International Dravet Syndrome Awareness Day is June…

Treatment with add-on Diacomit (stiripentol) rapidly reduced seizure frequency and extended seizure-free periods in children with Dravet syndrome, according to additional data from the treatment’s STICLO clinical trials. Open-label extension study data, which had not been previously reported, showed that placebo-treated patients who switched to Diacomit experienced a…

Epygenix Therapeutics, the company developing EPX-100 (clemizole) as a potential add-on treatment for people with Dravet syndrome, has been acquired by Harmony Biosciences. “This acquisition builds on our leadership position in sleep/wake and our franchise in neurobehavioral disorders, allowing us to leverage our expertise in CNS…

Avata Biosciences is gearing up for a Phase 3 clinical trial to test SAP-021, the company’s oral capsule formulation of cannabidiol — commonly abbreviated as CBD — that’s being developed as an alternative to Epidiolex, an oil-based cannabidiol solution that’s approved to reduce seizure frequency in people with…

Among recent treatments to reduce the risk of seizures in people with Dravet syndrome, Fintepla (fenfluramine) appears to be the most potent, according to a new analysis. “In [Dravet syndrome], [Fintepla] provided significantly greater efficacy compared with other [anti-seizure medications], and it was generally well tolerated,” researchers wrote…