UCB SA announced that data from its anti-seizure medication portfolio (brivaracetam, fenfluramine, lacosamide, and midazolam nasal spray) will be presented at the 76th American Epilepsy Society (AES) Annual Meeting (Nashville, Tennessee), December 2-6. Key data being presented at AES include a wealth of insights from the international EXPERIENCE study assessing brivaracetam effectiveness and tolerability in multiple sub-populations, including pediatrics and the elderly with focal seizures, as well as the efficacy and safety of fenfluramine on seizures for those living with Dravet and/or Lennox-Gastaut syndromes, and its impact on non-seizure parameters, including everyday executive functioning. Presented data featured in the company's scientific exhibit, "UCB: Leading with science for epilepsy and rare epilepsy syndromes" (December 5, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET, in 207 A/B, Floor 2, Music City Center), provides attending healthcare professionals an opportunity to engage in discussions around UCB's epilepsy research, real-world updates and latest clinical data. Complementary to the poster presentations, UCB will facilitate two satellite symposia for registered delegates at AES.

BRIVIACT® (brivaracetam) is indicated as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial-onset seizures with or without secondary generalisation in adults, adolescents and children from 2 years of age with epilepsy. Contraindications Hypersensitivity to the active substance, other pyrrolidone derivatives or any of the excipients. Special warnings and precautions for use Suicidal ideation and behaviour have been reported in patients treated with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) in several indications, including BRIVIACT®.

Patients should be monitored for signs of suicidal ideation and behaviour and appropriate treatment should be considered. Patients (and caregivers) should be advised to seek medical advice should any signs of suicidal ideation or behaviour emerge. BRIVIACT® film-coated tablets contain lactose.

Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, total lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take BRIVIACT®. Brivaracetam film-coated tablets, solution for injection/infusion and oral solution contain less than 1 mmol sodium (23mg) per tablet/vial/ml respectively, that is to say essentially 'sodium free'. The oral solution contains 168 mg sorbitol in each ml.

Patients with hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) should not take this medicinal product. The oral solution contains methyl parahydroxybenzoate, which may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed). Brivaracetam oral solution contains propylene glycol.

Posology No dose adjustment is needed in adults with impaired renal function. Based on data in adults, no dose adjustment is necessary neither in paediatric patients with impaired renal function. No clinical data are available in paediatric patients with renal impairment.

In patients with hepatic impairment, the following adjusted doses, administered in 2 divided doses, approximately 12 hours apart, are recommended for all stages of hepatic impairment: In adults, adolescents and children weighing =50 kg, a 50 mg/day starting dose is recommended, with a maximum daily dose of 150 mg/day. For adolescents and children weighing from 20 kg to <50 kg, a 1 mg/kg/day starting dose is recommended, with a maximum daily dose of 3 mg/kg/day. For children weighing from 10 kg to <20 kg, a 1 mg/kg/day starting dose is recommended, with a maximum daily dose of 4 mg/kg/day.

No clinical data are available in paediatric patients with hepatic impairment. BRIVIACT was approved in the U.S. in 2016 as an add-on therapy for adult patients with partial-onset seizures. BRIVIACT was approved as monotherapy for adults in September 2017, and as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy in patients four years of age and older with partial-onset seizures in 2018.

In August 2021, BRIVIACT was approved for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients as young as one month of age. BRIVIACT is available in three formulations: oral tablets, oral solution, and intravenous (IV) injection. More information is available at Drugs@FDA: FDA-Approved Drugs.

Suicidal Behavior and Ideation: Antiepileptic drugs, including BRIVIACT, increase the risk of suicidal behavior and ideation. Monitor patients taking BRIVIACT for the emergence or worsening of depression; unusual changes in mood or behavior; or suicidal thoughts, behavior, or self-harm. Advise patients, their caregivers, and/or families to be alert for these behavioral changes and report them immediately to a healthcare provider.