Dravet Syndrome
What is Dravet syndrome?
In 1978, Charlotte Dravet first described Dravet syndrome, and it was found to have a genetic basis in 2001. Dravet syndrome is a rare genetic dysfunction of the brain (epileptic encephalopathy). It begins in the first year of life in an otherwise healthy infant, and it is lifelong. Let’s simplify it with common synonyms or search words:- Severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (SMEI)
- Polymorphic epilepsy in infancy (PMEI)
- Epilepsy with polymorphic seizures
- DS
How common is Dravet syndrome?
It’s not fully known how many people are affected—estimated 1 in 15,700 to 1 in 40,000 live births. It affects males and females in equal proportions. Significant risk factors for a Dravet syndrome diagnosis are:- Seizures lasting more than 10 minutes
- Seizures occurring on one side of the body
- Seizures triggered by a warm-water bath in children under 12 months old
What are the signs and symptoms of Dravet syndrome?
Dravet syndrome has been characterized by prolonged febrile and non-febrile seizures within the first year of a child’s life. This disease progresses to other seizure types:- Myoclonic and partial seizures
- Psychomotor delay
- Ataxia
What treatment options are available for Dravet syndrome?
Diagnosing the child early is critical to proper treatment and achieving the best outcome. A child may need a multidisciplinary team to address the many ways Dravet syndrome can affect the family. Seizure treatment is aimed at finding the best combination of medicines to treat chronic seizures and prevent and treat potential seizure emergencies. Getting the best seizure control possible is the goal. This could also help improve the child’s developmental abilities and decrease mortality risk.Where can I find more information about Dravet syndrome?
Dravet Syndrome Articles
Potential Dravet Syndrome Treatment Shows Capability in Clinical Trial
According to a story from pm360online.com, the pharmaceutical company Zogenix Inc. recently announced that its experimental drug candidate ZX008, also known as Fintepla®, has performed
Cannabis-Based Drug for Dravet Syndrome Now Available in all 50 States
Epidiolex was the first cannabis-based drug approved in the United States. It was first recommended for FDA approval by an advisory committee in April of
Words Matter: Key Things to Keep in Mind When Talking about Epilepsy
November is Epilepsy Awareness Month! Epilepsy is a central nervous system disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior,
The FDA is Modernising Their Drug Development Processes
In a recent statement, Scott Gottlieb, the Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, has re-affirmed the organisation’s commitment to modernising drug regulatory pathways.
FDA Commissioner Releases Statement on Targeted Therapies, New Efficiency Measures, and Modernizing Development
According to a story from Pharma Voice, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the current commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently released a
Two Phase 2 Clinical Studies of a Drug for Rare Epilepsies Have Been Initiated
Two Phase 2 clinical trials called ‘Elektra’ and ‘Arcade’ have been initiated. They will investigate the drug OV935/TAK-935 as a potential treatment for paediatric
Takeda and Ovid Have Provided an Update on the Clinical Development Program for an Investigational Anti-Epileptic Drug
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Ovid Therapeutics have released an overview of the clinical development program for TAK-935/OV935, an investigational drug that is being
New Partnership May Have Implications for Those with Dravet, Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy, and More
According to Newswire, the two companies, BioMotiv and Cure Network Dolby Acceleration Partners (CNDAP) partnered up together in order to create small molecules that can potentially
