Zogenix Opens Photo Contest to Benefit Advocacy Groups
The biopharmaceutical company Zogenix is introducing a Dravet syndrome community photo-sharing campaign and contest to benefit the Dravet Syndrome Foundation and the Epilepsy Foundation.
U.S. families of Dravet patients whose seizures are treated with Fintepla (fenfluramine) — an add-on therapy developed by Zogenix — may enter the Fintepla Photo Diary contest by June 9.
The company is asking that patients, or their caregivers, share photos of their everyday life, raising up to $50,000 for the two foundations.
The idea is to depict and celebrate what life is like with fewer seizures. Fintepla is a Dravet medication taken with other anti-epileptic treatments to reduce the frequency of seizures, which characterize the disorder. The combined contest and campaign also aim to highlight the community and to encourage support among those affected by Dravet syndrome.
“We are constantly inspired by the Dravet community and members’ support for one another,” Ashish Sagrolikar, chief commercial officer at Zogenix, said in a press release.
“These families have taught us the importance of capturing everyday moments that can occur when seizures do not. We feel these moments are worth recognizing,” Sagrolikar said.
“At Zogenix, we are committed to working alongside the Dravet syndrome and the larger epilepsy community to celebrate more everyday moments, and we hope that the Fintepla Photo Diary will inspire others to do the same,” he added.
After registration, participants may upload between five and seven photos, with a short caption for each. Beginning June 21, community members may “like” and share their favorite images on the campaign’s Facebook page once daily.
From June 21 to July 19, each time a like or share occurs, Zogenix will donate $25 — up to a maximum of $50,000 — to the Dravet Syndrome and Epilepsy foundations.
At the campaign’s end, the family whose submission got the most likes and shares will win an outdoor photo shoot with a local photography agency. Two runner-up submissions will receive iPads. The winners will be announced on or around Aug. 9. Prizes are limited to one person per household.
“With my daughter’s seizures more controlled, we’re capturing even more moments as a family,” said Bethany Goering, whose daughter, age 12, has Dravet.
“The Fintepla Photo Diary campaign and contest is an opportunity for us to share the hope that we have in between seizures,” said Goering, who serves as her daughter’s caregiver.
“We’re excited that our participation will support advocacy groups helping others with Dravet syndrome,” she added.
Patients with Dravet syndrome may have multiple seizures each day. They also have marked developmental, motor, and behavioral impairments.
Fintepla was approved in the U.S. last year to treat Dravetpatients ages 2 and older.
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