Real world data for Fycompa (perampanel) have been published in 10 abstracts in Epilepsia and will be presented for the first time this week at the XXI European Congress on Epileptology (ECE) in Stockholm, Sweden. In addition, subset data from the Phase III pivotal trials of perampanel will be unveiled at the congress. Perampanel is indicated for the adjunctive treatment of partial onset seizures, with or without secondarily generalised seizures, in patients with epilepsy aged 12 years and older.[1] The 10 Eisai-supported observational studies evaluate real world experience with adjunctive perampanel in over 350 refractory patients across sites in the UK and Austria.[2]-[11] The data show perampanel as generally effective and well tolerated in a variety of patient populations, including those with highly refractory epilepsy and those with a high number of comorbidities. In two further abstracts, metabolic parameters were assessed for the perampanel pooled Phase III global pivotal studies (n=1,480)[12] and an open-label extension study (n=1,186).[13] Results show that lipid parameters (blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels) and glucose levels remain stable over time across a range of doses (up to 12mg per day) of perampanel. The most common metabolic treatment emergent adverse event reported for both studies was weight … Continue reading →

Kate Weaver, 29, left unable to speak or walk while 39 weeks pregnant Surgeons agonised over whether to treat stroke - and risk harming baby But Mrs Weaver was treated and gave birth naturally to son Toby She faced a difficult recovery, but she and Toby are now completely healthy By Jaya Narain Published: 04:34 EST, 29 June 2014 | Updated: 17:43 EST, 29 June 2014 191 shares 30 View comments Miraculous: Kate Weaver, pictured with her newborn son Toby, gave birth while still paralysed A woman who had a stroke days before she was due to have a baby gave birth to her son while still paralysed. Nurse Kate Weaver was out shopping when she realised she was having a stroke. She managed to tell her husband: We need to go to hospital. Its not the baby, Im really ill moments before losing her ability to speak and move. Read the original post: Pregnant nurse had a stroke a week before her due date - and gave birth while she was still paralysed … Continue reading →

The time it takes to identify a stroke and transport a stroke victim to the hospital to be diagnosed can shape the rest of a person's life, researchers say. To accelerate critical diagnosis time, Swedish researchers are developing a new medical instrument, Strokefinder, which will enable paramedics to diagnose strokes right from the ambulance. Strokefinder is a helmet-shaped tool that transmits weak microwave signals into the brain to diagnose whether the stroke is a bleeding stroke or a clot-induced stroke. The difference is important, said Mikael Elam, Strokefinder project leader and professor of clinical neurophysiology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden. The blood-thinning treatment given to victims of a clot-induced stroke to dissolve the blood clots could prove fatal if the victim was suffering a bleeding stroke. Elam collaborated with a team of researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, led by Mikael Persson, a professor of biomedical engineering. Over the course of 10 years the researchers have been testing how microwaves penetrate the brain, and developing Strokefinder to use that technology to diagnose strokes. The researchers conducted a study with 45 patients, recently published in the IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering journal, which showed Strokefinder could differentiate … Continue reading →