Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a rare epileptic disorder that is difficult to treat. Daniel Barber is chief operating officer at Aquestive Therapeutics, describes LGS and why there is a need for better treatment options for this condition.
LGS typically begins during infancy or early childhood. Children can experience several different types of seizures, including atonic, tonic and atypical absence seizures. These children may develop cognitive dysfunction and behavioral problems. Due to the severity and unpredictability of the seizures and the children’s behavior, treating these children can be difficult.
Barber noted, “Somewhere around the 3 to 5 years age group is where LGS is typically diagnosed and then patients from that point on go through a series of different treatments to try and control their condition. LGS sufferers have LGS for their lifetime it does not go away in adulthood and generally there is a great deal of care that needs to be provided to this patient population at all the different stages of life.”
In 2018, Aquestive’s Sympazan was approved to treat patients with LGS. Sympazam is a special formulation in which clobazam is on a dissolvable film that a patient can put on their tongue. The medication is appropriate for children with LSG who have difficulty swallowing.
