DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/sdvz8n/pharmapoint) has announced the addition of the "PharmaPoint: Epilepsy - Japan Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2022" report to their offering. Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by spontaneously occurring and recurrent seizures. The market is heavily driven by the sales of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) targeted at seizure reduction. The AED market is currently dominated by UCB's Keppra and GlaxoSmithKline's Lamictal. Although both drugs have experienced significant generic erosion, they form the mainstay of epilepsy treatment in the nine markets and will continue to have significant market share during the forecast period. Other key drugs include older generation AEDs such as Pfizer's Dilantin, Abbott's Depakote, and Novartis' Tegretol and Trileptal which still have significant usage due to their longevity in the market. However, the AED dominance landscape will continue to shift towards newer generation drugs particularly following the recent market entry of GlaxoSmithKline's Trobalt/Potiga and Eisai's Fycompa which both offer first-in-class mechanisms of action. The main driver for growth in this market will be the launch of new AEDs (Vimpat and Banzel), the continued uptake of recent AEDs (Lamictal, Keppra, and Topina [topiramate]), and the lower-than-average rate of generic substitution in Japan compared with … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/mr9xvr/pharmapoint) has announced the addition of the "PharmaPoint: Epilepsy - Italy Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2022" report to their offering. Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by spontaneously occurring and recurrent seizures. The market is heavily driven by the sales of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) targeted at seizure reduction. The AED market is currently dominated by UCB's Keppra and GlaxoSmithKline's Lamictal. Although both drugs have experienced significant generic erosion, they form the mainstay of epilepsy treatment in the nine markets and will continue to have significant market share during the forecast period. Other key drugs include older generation AEDs such as Pfizer's Dilantin, Abbott's Depakote, and Novartis' Tegretol and Trileptal which still have significant usage due to their longevity in the market. However, the AED dominance landscape will continue to shift towards newer generation drugs particularly following the recent market entry of GlaxoSmithKline's Trobalt/Potiga and Eisai's Fycompa which both offer first-in-class mechanisms of action. The main driver for growth in this market is the launch of new AEDs, the continued uptake of recent AEDs, and the lower-than-average rate of generic substitution in Italy compared with other countries, although this may change during the forecast … Continue reading →

The number of children with autism is "significantly" higher than previously thought, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School-aged boys were four times more likely to have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis than girls, according to the new data. The CDC released a report a year ago estimating 1 in 88 American children has a form of autism spectrum disorder - neurodevelopmental disorders that lead to impaired language, communication and social skills. The report looked at medical and educational records of all 8-year-olds living in 14 areas of the United States during 2008. This new report is drawn from answers given by parents of children between the ages of 6 and 17 in a telephone survey. Based on the answers provided by parents who chose to answer questions, the survey suggests that 1 in 50 school-aged children have autism. The research The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics conducted the survey between February 2011 and June 2012. When the topic of autism was raised, the family member was asked if they had ever been told by a doctor or other health care provider that their child had any form of autism. … Continue reading →

The latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control indicate the biggest increase in autism is occurring in mild cases in the spectrum of autism disorders but it doesn't necessarily mean there has been an increase in children with the neurological changes labeled as autism. NBC's Robert Bazell reports. By Maggie Fox, Senior Writer, NBC News Two percent of U.S. schoolkids or about a million children have been diagnosed with some sort of autism, according to the latest government report released on Wednesday -- or at least their parents say they have. Its a large increase since the last report but experts stress it doesnt necessarily mean more children are developing autism. Instead, the numbers suggests that more children are being diagnosed as they get older probably because of many factors, including increased awareness and more services both to diagnose children and help them, the researchers said. Our findings suggest that the increase in prevalence may be due to increased recognition of autism spectrum disorders in recent years, especially when the symptoms were mild, Stephen Blumberg of the National Center for Health Statistics, which published the report, said in a telephone interview. Parents are more aware. Professionals are more aware. … Continue reading →

By E.J. Mundell HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- The odds that a child will develop autism could be linked to their grandfather's age at the time they were born, a new Swedish study suggests. The study found that men who fathered a child at the age of 50 or older were more likely to have a grandchild with autism, suggesting that the risk might be passed down through successive generations. Men who had a daughter at age 50 or older were 79 percent more likely to have a grandchild with autism compared to men who fathered when they were in their early 20s, the research team reported in the March 20 issue of the journal JAMA Psychiatry. Men who fathered a son at age 50 or older had a 67 percent higher risk of having a grandchild with the disorder compared to men who fathered a child as young adults. "We tend to think in terms of the here and now when we talk about the effect of the environment on our genome," said study co-author Dr. Avi Reichenberg, who worked on the study while at King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, in England. "For the first … Continue reading →

Over the last two decades, the number of children diagnosed with autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has risen at an alarming rate. Just a couple of years ago the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated one in 88 school children had some form of autism. That was a 23% increase over 2009's count and a 78% rise over 2007. In a new report, the CDC puts that number at one in 50 school age children. What's behind this condition that was unknown to much of the population just 30 years ago? First, let's look at what exactly health professionals mean when they speak of autism. Biology and chemistry Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) most parents of an autistic child can tell something is not quite right by the time the child is 18 months old. Health experts say there are many different symptoms and different types of autism, which may explain in part the rapid rise in diagnosis. Generally, the symptoms affect the way the child communicates and interacts socially. Austic children, for example, often have difficulty speaking. Because … Continue reading →

Health officials in Michigan have laid out a plan to help thousands of families dealing with autism. Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley announced the plan Monday, calling for early screenings so families can get help earlier in a child's life. It also calls for additional training for primary caregivers to help them identify the disorder. Calley says his daughter has autism, and he wants to help, after overcoming difficulties to help his own child. "I knew that if the lieutenant governor had that difficult a time in making things happen for his daughter, that the average person had no chance at all, the republican says. My hope is that people who are not the lieutenant governor, who have kids with autism, will be able to have every bit of opportunity and every bit or as much hope with their child as our child." The new guidelines will help children as well as adults affected by autism, Including information about higher education options and employment services. Read the original post: Michigan details new autism treatment plan … Continue reading →

A state Senate committee voted Friday, March 22, to approve a bill that would mandate insurance coverage for an expensive and controversial form of autism therapy. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Chris Eaton, DFL-Brooklyn Center, next goes to a finance committee, where senators will more directly consider the cost of the mandate. The treatment is known as early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI). It can include 40 hours per week of therapy at an annual cost of about $57,000. One version is known as "Lovaas therapy," which is named for a California doctor who developed the treatment approach to autism spectrum disorder in the 1980s. During a hearing Friday in the Senate Health, Human Services and Housing Committee, supporters credited the rigorous therapy with helping children recover from autism. "This crucial insurance coverage will provide individuals with life-transforming therapies that enable individuals to reach their full potential, and ultimately will enable many to live independent lives," said Kara Redding of Maple Grove, whose son Jack has been helped by treatment. But critics argue that scientific evidence showing the superiority of the treatment is lacking. Insurers say they cover other effective autism therapies. "This bill asks unlimited hours of (therapy) for unlimited … Continue reading →

A state Senate committee voted Friday, March 22, to approve a bill that would mandate insurance coverage for an expensive and controversial form of autism therapy. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Chris Eaton, DFL-Brooklyn Center, next goes to a finance committee, where senators will more directly consider the cost of the mandate. The treatment is known as early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI). It can include 40 hours per week of therapy at an annual cost of about $57,000. One version is known as "Lovaas therapy," which is named for a California doctor who developed the treatment approach to autism spectrum disorder in the 1980s. During a hearing Friday in the Senate Health, Human Services and Housing Committee, supporters credited the rigorous therapy with helping children recover from autism. "This crucial insurance coverage will provide individuals with life-transforming therapies that enable individuals to reach their full potential, and ultimately will enable many to live independent lives," said Kara Redding of Maple Grove, whose son Jack has been helped by treatment. But critics argue that scientific evidence showing the superiority of the treatment is lacking. Insurers say they cover other effective autism therapies. "This bill asks unlimited hours of (therapy) for unlimited … Continue reading →

The child-size unit, named uBot-5, uses arms and a computer screen through which therapists can interact with the patient. The uBot-5 has prototype spherical hands. Turning to robots for speech and physical therapy may not be everyone's idea of high-quality, personalized health care. But for stroke patients -- particularly those in rural, isolated areas -- therapists can be difficult and expensive to come by, and rehabilitation can be elusive. So a speech language pathologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is studying the interactions of stroke patients with the uBot-5, a child-size humanoid robot with arms and a computer screen through which therapists can interact with people. And for at least one stroke patient, the bot appears to be doing a stand-up job. "It's clear from our study of a 72-year-old male stroke client that a personal humanoid robot can help people recover by delivering therapy such as word-retrieval games and arm movement tasks in an enjoyable and engaging way," study leader Yu-kyong Choe said in a school news release. Her case study appears in the current issue of the journal Aphasiology. Computer science doctoral student Hee-tae Jung practices arm movements with the uBot-5. The patient, who was suffering from … Continue reading →