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About the speaker
Prof. Elinor Ben-Menachem, MD, is an emeritus professor of neurology and epilepsy at the Institute for Clinical Neurosciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, in Gothenburg, Sweden. Her work has focused on the pharmacokinetics and mechanisms of action of antiseizure drugs and neuromodulators, on treatments for refractory epilepsy, and has played major roles in clinical trial programmes for antiseizure drugs and vagal nerve stimulation.
Abstract
Back to the future: Using clinical insights to drive epilepsy drug development
Epilepsy affects about 1% of the world’s population, and many people with epilepsy (PWE) must take medication throughout their lifetime. Treating patients with drug resistant epilepsy (DRE) has been an elusive problem, and therefore the prevention of DRE is a great unmet need. Despite the availability of over 25 currently used drugs developed for epilepsy as well as epilepsy surgery and seizure modulation with neurostimulation, about 30% of patients are still refractory to treatment.
How can we approach this problem to make inroads in helping our patients become seizure free? Through the years my research priority has been to understand the antiseizure medications (ASMs) and neurostimulation in development and look upon them as neuromodulators capable of influencing the brain in many ways. My group has participated in numerous clinical trials of new ASMs, many of which are now approved for use. From these clinical studies, we have gained valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of these drugs, both for epilepsy and for other CNS indications. Sometimes these clinical insights were unexpected and not predicted by earlier preclinical findings.
We are now entering a new era of drug discovery for epilepsy with the advancement of genetic therapies as disease modifying, antiepileptogenic therapies. Even new ideas about re-purposed medication with epileptogenic properties have been suggested. The possibilities are enormous, and it is encouraging that so many ideas are flourishing.
Where do we go from here? I would like to make the case for at least a partial return to strategies pursued during an earlier era of clinical development, with more exploratory endpoints for first-in-human and proof-of-concept clinical trials.
About the seminar series
Once a month, NCMM invites international guest speakers to present on topics within molecular life science and medicine.
The seminar is open to all, with no registration needed.
Tea, coffee and a simple lunch will be served before the start of the seminar.
NCMM International seminar schedule for 2024 can be found here.