Seizure reduction and responder rate found to improve significantly through 5-years stimulation in SANTE trial Newswise San Diego, December 2, 2012 The long-term benefits of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for epilepsy in the SANTE trial (Stimulation of the Anterior Nucleus of Thalamus for Epilepsy) were reported today during the 66th annual scientific meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES). Of patients with at least five-years stimulation, more than two-thirds experienced sustained efficacy and continuous reduction in their seizures. All of the patients had a long history of epilepsy and had tried and failed most other epilepsy treatment options before entering the trial. The SANTE trial is an ongoing prospective multicenter, double-blind randomized study of DBS in the treatment of partial-onset seizures. The five-year results were reported by Vicenta Salanova, M.D. FAAN, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Indiana University School of Medicine Comprehensive Epilepsy Program. At five years the majority of patients (69%) had 50% or greater reduction in seizure frequency. (Abstract #1.272) In these very refractory patients, there was a significant reduction in seizure frequency and severity with a median percent reduction in seizure frequency of 69% at five years, said Dr. Salanova. And continued improvement in quality … Continue reading →

SAN DIEGO, Dec.3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In an editorial published in the current issue of the journal Epilepsy & Behavior, Epilepsy Foundation (EF) President and CEO Phil Gattone and Epilepsy Therapy Project (ETP) Chairman and Co-founder Warren Lammert discuss their personal journeys and rationale for the upcoming merger between two leading organizations in the epilepsy community. In the editorial, "Stronger together the Epilepsy Therapy Project and Epilepsy Foundation decide to merge. Our personal stories and reflections" (http://my.epilepsy.com/etp/stronger_together_epilepsy_and_behavior), Gattone and Lammert outline how they will continue with a single mission and voice to build a strong and more unified community to support and advance the lives of people living with epilepsy. The Epilepsy & Behavior editorial was previewed at the American Epilepsy Society (AES) 66th Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. The Epilepsy Therapy Project and Epilepsy Foundation announced their intent to merge in October 2012, which is expected to complete in January 2013. The idea of a merger was spurred on by The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report, "Epilepsy Across the Spectrum: Promoting Health and Understanding" (http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2012/Epilepsy-Across-the-Spectrum.aspx), a comprehensive study that suggested the Epilepsy Foundation, with its active affiliate base, advocacy network and supportive care programs, and the Epilepsy Therapy … Continue reading →

Recent Evidence Suggests Potential Role of Inflammation in Epilepsy SAN DIEGO andWASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Epilepsy Therapy Project (ETP) and the Epilepsy Foundation (EF) today announced that Harbor Therapeutics, Inc. (HRBR.OB), a San Diego-based biopharmaceutical company, is the latest grant recipient of their New Therapy Grants Program, a unique joint venture of the two non-profit epilepsy organizations to advance clinical development and commercialization of promising epilepsy therapies. The grant will support the preclinical development of Harbor Therapeutic' s anti-inflammatory drug HE3286 in drug-resistant epilepsy. HE3286 is currently in Phase II clinical trials for diabetes. The award was announced by the Epilepsy Therapy Project and the Epilepsy Foundation during the American Epilepsy Society (AES) 66th Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. Brain inflammation is linked to epilepsy including drug resistant seizures, and specific anti-inflammatory drugs have been able to suppress ongoing seizures in animal models of chronic epilepsy.[1] HE3286 is an orally bioavailable, blood-brain-barrier permeable anti-inflammatory compound that is being repurposed for epilepsy. The anti-inflammatory action of HE3286 demonstrated in several different inflammatory disease modelsincluding Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosisprovides a strong rationale for its evaluation in epilepsy. ETP's Scientific Advisory Board and Business Advisory Board, which evaluated … Continue reading →

YEHUD, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BioControl Medical has announced that the FitNeS implantable vagus nerve stimulation system for treating epilepsy, which employs the same platform technology used in the companys CardioFit system for treating congestive heart failure, has been shown effective in initial cases performed at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. Data on five patient cases, which were presented by Prof. Bertil Rydenhag, Prof. Hans Silander, and Prof. Elinor Ben-Menachem at the American Epilepsy Society 2012 meeting in San Diego on December 1, have demonstrated improved clinical outcomes and an absence of side effects in patients who received treatment with the device.1 FitNeS, which was launched commercially in Europe by BioControl Medical spin-off company CerebralRx, is designed to treat epilepsy patients with partial onset seizures who do not achieve full seizure control with available prescription drugs (or those with refractory epilepsy). In the five reported cases, the device was successfully implanted in patients whose condition was refractory to multiple anti-epileptic drugs, including two patients who had received resective epilepsy surgery and three others who were inoperable for this epilepsy procedure. All patients were followed for a minimum of one year post-implantation with FitNeS, with the longest follow-up duration of 15 months. As … Continue reading →

Study Signals New Prescribing Practices and Prospect of Significant Cost Savings for Treatment of Infantile Spasms Newswise SAN DIEGO, December 3, 2012 A pilot study to determine the best hormonal treatment for infantile spasms (IS) that may lead to changes in prescribing practices for hormone therapy is being presented for the first time at the American Epilepsy Societys 66th Annual Meeting in San Diego California (Abstract #1.247). In a study of 30 infants, researchers from the division of Pediatric Neurology of Mattel Childrens Hospital at UCLA in Los Angeles found very high dose prednisolone to be a reasonable alternative to adrenocorticotropic hormone treatment (ACTH) for children with infantile spasms . Using a standardized protocol in which ACTH is reserved for infants who do not respond to prednisolone, they yielded a favorable overall response rate of 77%, and were able to successfully forego ACTH therapy in 18 patients, thus avoiding more than 1000 intramuscular injections and achieving more than 2 million dollars in short-term cost savings. The results indicate that further research is warranted to determine whether high dose prednisolone is truly equivalent is ACTH, as 5 infants in this study responded to ACTH after failing prednisolone. In the absence of … Continue reading →

Newswise San Diego, December 3, 2012 A survey of healthcare providers concerning the initial diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy has found significant misinformation held among physicians who see children who have seizures. Many physicians surveyed are misinformed about what constitutes intractable epilepsy, when to refer their pediatric patients for surgical evaluation, and what types of seizures may be amenable to surgical intervention. A number of best practice guidelines for the care of epilepsy patients, including guidance in the care of pediatric patients who have seizures, have recently been developed and/or updated and promulgated by the leading national and international medical specialty organizations concerned with epilepsy. The survey of providers was carried out to assess concordance between current best practice guidelines and clinical practice for epilepsy in pediatrics. (Abstracts #1.342 & #1.343) In addition to misinformation pertaining to surgery, knowledge concerning diagnosis and drug management in pediatric patients was also marked by important gaps. There was agreement in general about obtaining an EEG and CT or MRI brain image. But respondents were significantly less informed about when or after how many seizures anticonvulsant drug (AED) therapy should be initiated. Those surveyed were equally as misinformed about how many AED failures should … Continue reading →