Epilepsy experts meet to deepen in the study of Zebinix (R).

-the progress achieved in recent years in the treatment of the disease and the development of new drugs with better tolerability have improved the quality of life of the patient

-the best way of ahead of ” to the crisis is taking antiepileptic medication correctly, because decreases neuronal hiperexcitabilidad. With antiepileptic drugs, the crisis come to control 70% of patients

-Zebinix ®, is the first drug research from Bial, which is administered by mouth – a compressed journal-allow better enforcement and one has a good tolerability in patients with epilepsy (2,3)

-pharmaceutical company Bial is strongly committed to innovation terapéutica, investing more than 20% of its annual turnover in I & D

Porto, 2011-September Zebinix ® has gathered these days at the headquarters of Bial in Oporto, prestigious epileptólogos and national and international, neuroscientists in order that can share experiences and exchange views relating to progress in the treatment of epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a neurological disease that affects approximately 400,000 Spanish and each year are diagnosed more than 20,000 new cases according to the Spanish Foundation of neurological diseases study FEEN.

Within the framework of this meeting, experts discuss various aspects related to the treatment and disease progression and will share his experience on the effectiveness of treatments in the short and long term, improvements in the quality of life of patients with new drugs and will reflect on the experience with the epilepsy in Europe and Portugal.

According to the DRA. Sea Carreño, Director of the epilepsy unit of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona and attending the meeting, these meetings help neurologists that we dedicate ourselves to epilepsy to have knowledge of the developments in the treatment of the disease that can be enhanced for our patients. They are also a very appropriate framework for sharing preliminary experiences with new drugs or other forms of therapy ”.

Advances in the treatment of epilepsy

Attendees to the meeting experts point out that the progress achieved in recent years in the treatment of epilepsy and the development of new drugs with better tolerability have improved the quality of life of patients.

If crises are well controlled and the medication is well tolerated, there is usually no significant impact on the quality of life. However, the drug-resistant epilepsy is associated with a poor quality of life by the crisis itself and the problematic associate (cognitive, psychiatric, social, and labor) ”, explains this specialist. According to Dr. Carreño, now we recognize and better treat this pathology ”

with respect to the consequences that may occur in the short- and long-term epilepsy DRA. Carreño points out that there are many sick people with epilepsy that lead a completely normal life even if they have to take medication. However, some patients, especially those who have frequent crises which are not controlled with medication, may have social and labour issues. The serious long-term epilepsy may also be associated with cognitive problems (e.g. alteration of memory), psychiatric (depression and anxiety) and increase mortality ”.

The best way of ahead ” to crises is correctly taking antiepileptic medication, because it decreases the neural hiperexcitabilidad. With antiepileptic drugs come to control 70% of patients ”, emphasizes the DRA. Carreño.

Zebinix ® promising treatment in the treatment of epilepsy

In this sense, BIAL, co-promotion with Eisai Europe, a subsidiary of the Japanese multinational Eisai, recently launched, Zebinix ® (eslicarbazepina acetate), an antiepileptic drug (AED) administered orally – a daily pill – and is effective to improve seizure control.

With regard to the benefits that presents eslicarbazepina, Dr. acetate Carreño points out that Zebinix ® is a drug in clinical trials has proven to be effective for the treatment of rebel crisis, with a good tolerability profile. In addition its pharmacokinetics allows only takes a day, which represents a great advantage for many patients ”, says the DRA. Carreño.

Zebinix ® is the first drug of BIAL, one of the most important Iberian pharmaceutical groups, research, and is the fruit of 14 years of research and investment of 300 million euros.

This new drug was approved in April 2009 by the European Commission – based on the opinion of the European Medicines Agency – as adjunctive therapy in adults with partial seizures with or without secondary generalization.

On BIAL

Founded in 1924, BIAL is an international pharmaceutical group with own research that sells various products in over 50 countries on four continents. BIAL is the largest Portuguese pharmaceutical group. In Spain BIAL centralizes antiallergic vaccines and production means of diagnostics for allergies for the different markets where it operates. The Centre of excellence located in Bilbao, where the Group concentrated I & D projects in the area of allergic immunotherapy, is responsible for increasing the portfolio of products offers the pharmaceutical for the treatment of allergies.

The BIAL group is a partner of choice for many companies in response to its strong presence in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as in Latin America and in several countries of French- and Portuguese-speaking Africa.

BIAL is strongly committed to the therapeutic innovation, investing more than 20% of its annual turnover in I & D. The main areas of research and development of the company are the Central nervous system, Cardiovascular System and allergic immunotherapy. The recent launch of Zebinix ® now enables the presence of the BIAL group, through a business partner in various European countries, among which are large markets pharmacists, case of Germany and United Kingdom. Currently BIAL has other innovative products in development that will probably reach the market in the next few years consolidating the position of the company in Europe.

About Eisai

Eisai is a leading r & d globally-based pharmaceutical companies and has defined its corporate mission as “think first in patients and their families and increase the benefits provided by health care,” which we call human health care or Human HealthCare (hhc)(, for its acronym in English).

Eisai focuses its r & d activities in three key areas:

-area of Neuroscience: Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, pain, epilepsy, depression, neuropathic, etc.

-Area of Oncology: cancer treatments; tumour-regressing, tumor suppression, antibodies, etc. and support cancer treatments; relief of pain, nausea, etc.

-Reaction vascular and immune and includes: acute coronary syndrome, disease concurrence, sepsis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, disease Crohn, etc.

Eisai, which develops its activity in the United States.USA, Asia, Europe and Japan, has over 11,000 employees working throughout the world.

Eisai has subsidiaries in Europe, in over 20 countries: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Iceland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.

Referencia:

(1) report FEEN on epilepsy in Spain. Spanish Foundation of neurological diseases.

(2) Technical specifications of Zebinix ®, November 2010.

(3) (C) et Elger to the. Efficacy and Safety of Eslicarbazepine Acetate as Adjunctive Treatment in Adults with Refractory Partial-Onset Seizures: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Phase III Study. Epilepsy 2009; 50 (3): 454 – 463.