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Health Canada has approved Epidiolex (cannabidiol) as an add-on treatment for seizures in adults and children, ages 2 and older, with Dravet syndrome, expanding the list of countries where the medicine is available for this form of epilepsy. The oral solution developed by GW Pharmaceuticals, now Jazz…

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…

Nighttime monitoring devices are used by most Dravet syndrome caregivers — at least 75% — to detect seizures and prevent sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, or SUDEP, according to the results of a questionnaire-based study in Germany. Such monitoring is important because, statistics show, children with Dravet have…

Newer antiseizure medications for children and adolescents with Dravet syndrome outperformed placebos and reduced seizure frequency by at least 50% in clinical trials, according to a pooled analysis of study data. The review also compared the benefits and safety of such therapies, each of which is approved in the…

People with Dravet syndrome due to mutations in the SCN1A gene are more frequently affected by gastrointestinal and eating problems than those with other SCN1A-associated disorders, according to a study from the Netherlands. More than three-quarters of Dravet patients were reported to be experiencing two or more such issues, compared…

Most children with Dravet syndrome receive their diagnosis before they are a year old, and about seven months from the onset of their symptoms, according to a global survey of new caregivers. Additionally, an overwhelming majority of caregivers change physicians within the first four years, mainly due to…

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…

A case report from China describes a man who was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome at age 29, following an epileptic seizure that significantly worsened his walking and motor difficulties. This decline eased after one week, but “recurrent epileptic seizures contribute in some way to the development of gait and…

During clinical trials, side effects are more common in people who use cannabidiol (CBD) to treat some forms of epilepsy, including Dravet syndrome, than in people on a placebo, according to a recent study. Those side effects ranged from mild to severe and could be serious enough to make…

Fintepla (fenfluramine) significantly reduces seizure frequency in children and adolescents with Dravet syndrome who experience hard-to-treat seizures, according to new Phase 3 trial data. These findings add to positive results from other Fintepla Phase 3 trials, further supporting the benefits of the approved add-on therapy for this…