Article published by Dravet Syndrome News
Treatment with Fintepla (fenfluramine) appeared to be reasonably safe and lower seizure frequency in five children with Dravet syndrome who started on the therapy before they were two years old, scientists in Italy reported. These findings are noteworthy because in the US and European Union, Fintepla is approved for Dravet patients ages two and older. “We demonstrated that [Fintepla] used in patients younger than two years may offer excellent tolerability and a clinically significant reduction in seizure frequency,” the researchers wrote. The researchers highlighted that two of the children showed slight improvements in some measures of cognitive development after starting on Fintepla, in contrast to Dravet’s typical progression where cognitive development slows. Though the scientists stressed that it’s too early to make definitive conclusions, they said their study offers hope that reducing seizures in early life may help to protect cognitive development over time.