The Epilepsy Foundation is developing a drug discovery platform for genetic forms of epilepsy in collaboration with Intellimedix and Pfizer Inc. The platform may help create individualized and potential new treatments for people living with Dravet Syndrome (a very severe type of genetic epilepsy) and other types of epilepsy for which limited treatment options are currently available.

“This collaboration has the potential to benefit all individuals and families living with epilepsy, especially the one-third of people with epilepsy who live with uncontrolled seizures despite all currently available therapies,” said Philip M. Gattone, President and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation. “With this drug discovery platform and our new collaboration, the Foundation furthers its mission to unify the epilepsy community and embrace innovation in new therapies.”

“We are thrilled by this collaboration that aims to develop novel drug screening technologies to deliver personalized therapies to patients with epilepsy,” said Daniel Fischer, President & CEO of Intellimedix. “We will strive to significantly improve the lives of patients with Dravet Syndrome in the very short term.”

“We are excited to be part of this collaboration because we believe that future therapies will be more tailored to an individual’s needs,” said Ruth McKernan, Head of Neusentis, Pfizer’s research unit for pain and sensory disorders. “Collaborating with organizations like the Epilepsy Foundation is so important because they bring us closer to patients.”

About Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures. According to the CDC, epilepsy affects between 2.2 and 3 million people in the United States and, despite the availability of multiple anti-seizure drugs, one third of people with epilepsy still live with uncontrolled seizures.* Dravet Syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy for which no effective treatments exist.

About Intellimedix

Intellimedix is an innovative company that develops and applies state-of-the-art technologies to improve disease diagnostics, accelerate drug discovery, and personalize medicine. The company was founded by parents of children with epilepsy. For more information, visit www.intellimedix.com.

About the Epilepsy Foundation

The Epilepsy Foundation, a national non-profit with 48 affiliated organizations throughout the United States, has led the fight against seizures since 1968. The Foundation is an unwavering ally for individuals and families impacted by epilepsy and seizures. The mission of the Epilepsy Foundation is to stop seizures and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), find a cure and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy through efforts including education, advocacy and research to accelerate ideas into therapies. The Foundation works to ensure that people with seizures have the opportunity to live their lives to their fullest potential. For additional information, please visit www.epilepsy.com.

Contacts
Intellimedix media contact:
Daniel Fischer
404-543-3272
[email protected]
Epilepsy Foundation media contact:
Kenneth Lowenberg
(301) 918-3773
[email protected]

*Institute of Medicine (U.S) Committee on the Public Health Dimensions of the Epilepsies. 2012. Epilepsy Across the Spectrum: Promoting Health and Understanding. “Overview of Epilepsy.” Pgs. 33-38.