- This syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy that does not respond well to treatment.

Nasal spray.

Nasal diazepam, the effective drug against Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Diazepam nasal spray (Valtoco, Neurelis Inc.) has shown efficacy in the latest data from a phase III clinical trial in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, as well as pediatric encephalopathies.

This syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy (patients can have hundreds of episodes in a single day) that usually begins in early childhood and usually has a poor prognosis. Therefore, the findings of this analysis are promising for patients who do not respond adequately to other treatments.

Same response as other types of epilepsy

As explained by the medical news portal Medscape, the response of children with this syndrome to a dose appropriate to their weight was essentially the same as that shown by other children with less severe forms of epilepsy. This leads the authors to think that it could be used as a rescue medication; that is, for the immediate relief of one dose.

In addition, these results break with the belief held by many specialists that Lennox-Gastaut syndrome does not respond well to rescue in general, more than to certain specific medications.

The trial was carried out on 163 patients (whose specialist determined that they should be treated with a benzodiazepine, such as a diazepam, to achieve control of epileptic episodes) and included a treatment period of 12 months with visits to the specialist on day 30 and after. of that every 60 days. Patients had the option to continue treatment past the trial term.

In the study cohort, 47.9% of patients were between 6 and 17 years of age. Among them, 73 had cluster seizures; and, among them, nine had Lennox-Gastaut. 95.9% of the Lennox-Gastaut clusters could be treated with a single dose (calculated based on the patient's age and weight) and 4.1% received a second dose. This efficacy profile was very similar to that observed in pediatric encephalopathies, as was the safety profile of the drug.

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