A large Taiwanese study has found no association between fathers taking the antiseizure medication valproate before conception and an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders or birth defects in their children. The findings, published in Neurology, add to evidence about the potential reproductive effects of antiseizure medicines in men. Valproate is already known to carry significant…
Category: Epilepsy
Personalised gene therapy shows promise for rare genetic epilepsy
Two children with a rare and severe genetic form of epilepsy experienced substantial reductions in seizures and developmental improvements after receiving personalised gene therapy designed specifically for their individual genetic mutations, according to a study published in Nature Medicine. Researchers from the University of California San Diego and the Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine…
Study maps brain protein linked to epilepsy and identifies potential drug target
Researchers have determined the first high-resolution structure of a brain protein linked to epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder and other neurological conditions, while also developing the first compounds capable of blocking its activity, offering a potential new avenue for neurological drug discovery. Published in Nature Communications, the study focused on the neuronal protein NBCn2, a transporter…
Brain mapping study could improve personalised treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy
Researchers at Mayo Clinic have developed a detailed map of a deep brain structure that could help improve the precision of brain stimulation therapies for people with drug-resistant epilepsy. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, focuses on the pulvinar, part of the thalamus, which plays a key role in processing and coordinating information…
Hearing aids linked to lower dementia risk in people with epilepsy
Adults with both epilepsy and hearing loss who use hearing aids may have a 23% lower risk of developing dementia than those who do not, according to research presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2026. Hearing loss is recognised as the largest modifiable risk factor for dementia, but evidence that hearing aids…
UCB completes Neurona Therapeutics acquisition to strengthen epilepsy pipeline
UCB has completed its acquisition of Neurona Therapeutics in a deal worth up to US$1.15 billion, expanding its epilepsy portfolio and marking a strategic move into regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies. The transaction includes an upfront payment of US$650 million, with up to US$500 million in additional milestone payments. UCB said the acquisition aligns with…
Phase 3 azetukalner data show promising seizure control in focal epilepsy
New phase 3 trial results presented at the 2026 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting suggest that the investigational anti-seizure medication Azetukalner may offer substantial seizure reduction for adults with treatment-resistant focal onset seizures. The data were presented by Xenon Pharmaceuticals from the phase 3 X-TOLE2 study, which evaluated azetukalner as an add-on therapy in…
Which anti-seizure medications cause most birth malformations?
16 July 2025: A new study that examined older and newer medications to treat seizures has found that using some medications during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of malformations at birth, or birth defects. The study is published in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Seizures can lead to falls and…
Fenfluramine in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder
UCB announces positive results from GEMZ phase 3 study 27 June 2025: UCB has announced that the phase 3 study investigating the safety and efficacy of adjunctive fenfluramine in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD) met its primary and key secondary endpoints.1 The study is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose, multi-centre study examining the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics…
MRC Centre for brain stimulation devices
New £50m centre to develop brain stimulation device-based therapies The new MRC Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) in Restorative Neural Dynamics will receive up to £50 million over 14 years to develop advanced brain stimulation devices for conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, stroke, and childhood epilepsy. Led by researchers at the University of Oxford,…
