PBR Staff Writer Published 14 July 2014 Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Canada has received approval from Health Canada for Aptiom (eslicarbazepine acetate) for use as a once-daily adjunctive drug (AED) to treat partial-onset seizures in patients with epilepsy who are not satisfactorily controlled with conventional therapy. The company said that Aptiom is not indicated for use in patients under 18 years of age. The approval is based on three Phase III randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, safety and efficacy trials BIA-2093-301, BIA-2093-302 and BIA-2093-304. More than 1,400 people living with partial-onset seizures inadequately controlled by one to three concomitant AEDs including carbamazepine, lamotrigine, valproic acid and levetiracetam, were involved in these Phase III trials. In these trials, treatment with Aptiom showed statistically significant reductions in standardized seizure frequency versus placebo, and significantly more APTIOM treated patients experienced seizure frequency reduction of 50% or more from baseline. Dizziness, somnolence, headache, nausea, diplopia, vomiting, fatigue, ataxia, vision blurred, and vertigo are the most frequently reported adverse reactions in patients taking Aptiom. Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Canada president Douglas Reynolds said the approval of Aptiom is an important milestone not only for the company, but for thousands of Canadians living with, and affected by epilepsy. "Adequate seizure control remains … Continue reading →

When Alexis Sturgeons brother was 15 years old, he started having flu-like symptoms, vomiting, and problems thinking clearly. He was eventually diagnosed with a life-threatening condition known as ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTC). OTC is a genetic disorder that causes ammonia to build up in the blood and then travel to the central nervous system. It can cause neurological damage and even be fatal. Because theres no cure, Alexiss brother takes several medications just to stay alive. Through genetic testing, Alexis discovered that she, with her mother and two out of her three sisters were all carriers of the disorder. If Alexis had a child, there was a 50 percent chance that her baby would have the condition. Still in college, Alexis was devastated and worried if she would ever have a healthy baby one day. After learning about her options, she decided that, when she was ready to have children, she would opt for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), a procedure that screens embryos created through IVF for genetic abnormalities. After I found out I was a carrier, I already knew the path that I wanted to take to be able to have children, she said. I didnt want my future … Continue reading →

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) July 13, 2014 Athletes with a certain genetic make-up are prone to a longer recovery period from concussions, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicines (AOSSM) Annual Meeting. The research marks the first of its kind investigating a genetic association to concussion based on the known physical events that occur after a head injury. We identified that patients with a long allele in the (GT)n genotype were four times more likely to have a prolonged concussion recovery, noted lead author Jane McDevitt, PhD, from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because genes determine the structure and function of proteins involved in the cells resistance and response to mechanical stress, its not surprising there could be a connection to recovery from a traumatic event like a head injury. The 52 athletes participating in the study went through standardized concussion assessments following injury, and provided a saliva sample. Each was followed until fully recovered and placed into an either normal or prolonged recovery group, at which point DNA was extracted from samples for further study. Making the genetic connection in this data is an exciting step for concussion injury research, noted McDevitt. Knowing this … Continue reading →