HATFIELD, England, September 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
UK first country in Europe to gain access to new therapy for partial epilepsy
Fycompa (perampanel), discovered and developed by Eisai in the UK and Japan, is launched today as the first in an entirely new class of treatment for uncontrolled partial epilepsy (the most common form of the condition). The new therapy has demonstrated efficacy in partial onset seizures, in particular with secondary generalisations. It is indicated as an adjunctive treatment for partial-onset seizures, with or without secondarily generalised seizures, in people with epilepsy aged 12 years and older.[1]
The worldwide supply of this new drug will be manufactured, packaged and distributed from the company's new 100 million facility in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.
Perampanel is the first and only licensed anti-epileptic drug (AED) to selectively target AMPA receptors, a receptor in the brain which plays a critical role in the spread of epileptic seizures.[2] This mechanism of action is different to other, currently available AEDs. In addition, perampanel has the added benefit of convenient, once-daily dosing at bedtime[1] and significantly, is the only third generation partial epilepsy treatment approved to treat adolescents with epilepsy from launch.
There are approximately 600,000 individuals in the UK with epilepsy, and 496,000 in England.[3] Improved epilepsy care is crucial as there are around 1000 epilepsy-related deaths each year in the UK, most of which are associated with seizures.[4] Just over a third of these deaths are young adults and children[5] and of the total number of deaths, about 400 per year, are thought to be avoidable.[4]
Although up to 70 per cent of people with epilepsy have the potential to be seizure-free through accurate diagnosis and optimal treatment, according to the Joint Epilepsy Council, this is achieved in only around half of all patients.[6]
"The successful management of partial-onset seizures remains a significant challenge in many epilepsy patients, and the incidence of uncontrolled seizures remains too high, despite existing treatments," points out Dr Fergus Rugg-Gunn, consultant neurologist at the UCLH NHS Foundation Trust. "Perampanel provides doctors and patients with an important new option for the treatment of partial-onset epilepsy and may play a key role in improving seizure management in poorly controlled adults and adolescents."
"In order for young people living with epilepsy to reach their full potential in education, employment and social interaction, their seizures need to be under control as far as possible and their condition needs to be better understood by those around them," says David Ford, Chief Executive of Young Epilepsy. "Currently more than one in three people with epilepsy still have uncontrolled seizures, even after their first or second drug therapy, a number that is still far too high."
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New First-In-Class Treatment Fycompa® [black triangle drug] Launches Today for Most Common Form of Epilepsy