Feinberg
Northwestern Medicine | Northwestern University | Faculty Profiles

News Center

  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Menu
  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Home » Children’s Relentless Seizures Halted By New Drug
Clinical Breakthroughs

Children’s Relentless Seizures Halted By New Drug

By Marla PaulNov 20, 2014
Share
Facebook Twitter Email
Mark Wainwright, MD, PhD, professor in Pediatrics and Neurology, was the lead author on a study demonstrating the first clinical application of a drug to treat unrelenting seizures, or refractory status epilepticus.

In its first clinical application in pediatric patients, an investigational medication has been found to effectively treat children with life-threatening and difficult-to-control epileptic seizures without side effects, according to a research report by scientists at Northwestern Medicine and University of California-Davis.

Two children were treated with the investigational drug, one at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and the other at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. Both children were weaned from general anesthetics and other seizure treatments and their seizures resolved. In both instances, the children are making a good recovery.

The research was published online in Annals of Neurology.

“This suggests this drug may help treat pediatric patients in intensive care units with seizures which could not be stopped by all other drugs currently used,” said lead author  Mark Wainwright, MD, PhD, professor in Pediatrics and the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology. “It’s incredibly exciting to have an effective new treatment.”

Unrelenting seizures, known as refractory status epilepticus, are a medical emergency because prolonged seizures that cannot be stopped by anti-seizure medications injure the brain. Mortality rates can be as high as 50 percent, and those who survive experience high rates of subsequent neurological impairment. These uncontrollable seizures occur in thousands of patients a year in intensive care units. The condition can be caused by a myriad of disorders including bad epilepsy, infection, stroke, head injury and metabolic disorders.

There are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for the condition.

The investigational formulation of allopregnanolone was manufactured by UC Davis Health System’s Good Manufacturing Practice Laboratory. Research in animals has shown that allopregnanolone protects against seizures and can stop status epilepticus. Although the allopregnanolone used to manufacture the investigational treatment was produced by chemical synthesis according to procedures regulated by the FDA, it is synthesized normally in small quantities in the body from progesterone.

In both of the clinical cases, the patients continued to have seizures despite weeks of intensive treatment with medications, including infusion of anesthetics. Emergency treatment with the investigational medication was approved by the FDA. The two patients received the medication over a five-day period, during which time both were weaned from anesthetics and other seizure medications. Status epilepticus did not recur after treatment. There were no adverse drug effects, the researchers said.

Other authors include Eileen Broomall, MD, Michele Grimason, family nurse practitioner at Lurie Children’s Hospital, Craig Smith, MD, assistant professor in Pediatrics-Critical Care and Joshua Goldstein, MD, associate professor in Pediatrics-Neurology.

Neurology and Neuroscience Patient Care Pediatrics Research
Share. Facebook Twitter Email

Related Posts

Celebrating Advances in Alzheimer’s Research and Clinical Care

May 26, 2023

Understanding How Hormones Influence Anemia

May 25, 2023

Groundbreaking Geneticist Delivers Epigenetics Lecture

May 24, 2023

Comments are closed.

Latest News

Celebrating Advances in Alzheimer’s Research and Clinical Care

May 26, 2023

Understanding How Hormones Influence Anemia

May 25, 2023

Groundbreaking Geneticist Delivers Epigenetics Lecture

May 24, 2023

CT Scan Best at Predicting Heart Disease Risk in Middle Age

May 23, 2023

Investigating the Benefits of Salt Substitutes in Elderly Patients

May 22, 2023
  • News Center Home
  • Categories
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
  • News Archives
  • About Us
Flickr Photos
20230506_NM569
20230506_NM564
20230506_NM563
20230506_NM559
20230506_NM555
20230506_NM549
20230506_NM508
20230506_NM474
20230506_NM136
20230506_NM124
20230506_NM118
20230506_NM094

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr YouTube Instagram
Copyright © 2023 Northwestern University
  • Contact Northwestern University
  • Disclaimer
  • Campus Emergency Information
  • Policy Statements

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.