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Most Dravet syndrome patients utilize various types of therapies beyond medicines to manage the disease, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and psychological therapy, according to a recent survey of caregivers and family members in Spain. While survey respondents sometimes found these non-pharmacological interventions to be effective, sizable numbers were less…

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,…

STK-001, an investigational treatment for children and adolescents with Dravet syndrome, markedly reduced seizure frequency and improved cognition and behavior, according to new findings in Phase 1/2a clinical trials. “The substantial and sustained reductions in seizure frequency and improvements in cognition and behavior observed in our STK-001 clinical studies…

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…