LONDON UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - Jun 24, 2014) - Brabant Pharma, a pharmaceutical company focused on advancing Brabafen, its novel, low-dose formulation of fenfluramine for the treatment of Dravet syndrome, announces its sponsorship of the Dravet Syndrome Foundation's First Biennial Family and Professional Conference. The Conference will take place June 26-29, 2014 at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago with joint sponsorship by Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. The conference has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit.
The Conference will bring together Dravet syndrome families and caregivers with leading clinicians and researchers to discuss new developments in the treatment of the syndrome and associated intractable childhood epilepsies. The event will feature more than a dozen clinical topics, as well as parent-to-parent roundtables and opportunities for families to socialize. Brabant Pharma has established a Scholarship Program to cover conference registration and hotel costs for families in need of financial assistance.
"We are pleased to be a key sponsor of the first Dravet Syndrome Foundation Conference and are gratified to be able to fund a scholarship program that supports families who otherwise could not afford to participate. Dravet syndrome is a devastating condition that affects the entire family in myriad ways, including physically, emotionally and economically," noted Rick Stewart, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brabant Pharma.
"Our commitment to this disease is rooted in Brabafen, our lead product candidate for the treatment for Dravet syndrome. We look forward to presenting an additional three-years of clinical data from an ongoing 19-year observational study at the Conference. With 22 years of published research and robust clinical data in Dravet syndrome patients, the effectiveness of Brabafen has been demonstrated over the long-term. Importantly, Brabafen has a proven ability to greatly reduce seizure frequency or eliminate seizures altogether. We look forward to advancing this very promising treatment for the benefit of these children and their families," concluded Mr. Stewart.
About Dravet Syndrome
Dravet Syndrome (also known as Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy) is a rare, severe and therapy-resistant form of epilepsy most often caused by an identifiable gene defect that results in abnormal functioning of a sodium channel in the brain. Children with Dravet's Syndrome experience severe, long-lasting, fever-related seizures in the first year of life. Other seizures typically arise later, including myoclonus (involuntary muscle spasms) and status epilepticus (prolonged seizures), which oftentimes result in severe cognitive and developmental impairment. Episodes of status epilepticus require immediate emergency care and can be fatal. Individuals with Dravet syndrome face a higher incidence of SUDEP (sudden unexplained death in epilepsy) and have associated conditions, which also require proper treatment and management. Children with Dravet syndrome do not outgrow this condition and it affects every aspect of their daily lives.