The future of epilepsy treatment: Rafal Kaminski advocates for pioneering advances and patient-centric care
Epilepsy is one of the most widespread neurological diseases in the world, affecting approximately 6 million people across Europe. While treatment approaches have advanced over the last few decades, an estimated 30% of patients living with epilepsy still do not respond to anti-seizure drugs currently available on the market significantly impacting their quality of life.
Titled The Future of Epilepsy Treatment: Pioneering Advances and Patient-Centric Care, Rafal Kaminski (Chief Scientific Officer of Angelini Pharma) contributes an op-ed to Labiotech in which he presents an overview of the current treatment landscape for people living with epilepsy, the research and development being undertaken into new and innovative solutions to potentially achieve seizure freedom, and the challenges faced when adopting scientific innovation into clinical practice.
Over the last decade in particular, the scientific community has seen a number of breakthroughs in the understanding of epilepsy genetics and the development of novel tools for more precise treatment approaches. Exploring the diversification of epilepsy research and development, Kaminski analyses the way in which researchers are driving innovation in many different areas to further advance epilepsy treatments. From structural and genetic, to infectious, metabolic, immune and developmental epilepsies, Kaminski highlights 200 projects on different types of epilepsies and seizure diseases that are currently at different stages of pre-clinical and clinical treatment. These include novel therapeutic modalities (e.g. antisense oligonucleotides) that are already in clinical development as well as pioneering gene therapies that, although still far off on the horizon, hold promising innovations that could be revolutionary when they arrive.
At the forefront of epilepsy research, Angelini Pharma remains dedicated to addressing the challenges posed by drug-resistant epilepsy through its own strategic investment into small molecules, biologics and innovative therapeutic approaches with a focus on areas in which it can make a significant impact. Recognising epilepsy as a complex disease area, Kaminski nevertheless discusses the significant challenges that can still hinder the adoption of scientific innovations into clinical practice even when solutions are found. This includes medical nihilism, the reluctance to embrace new therapies due to the belief that they will not significantly impact patient outcomes.
Advocating a patient-centric approach, Kaminski thus emphasises the importance of helping patients living with epilepsy to make informed decisions about their disease and available treatments. Collaborating with patients, patient groups and organisations, healthcare professionals, academic institutions and leading biotech companies, Angelini Pharma champions patient voices through a range of initiatives. For example, since 2017 Angelini Pharma has collaborated with The European House - Ambrosetti (TEHA) on the Headway Initiative, which regularly maps European epilepsy care in order to better understand patients’ needs and, in turn, help healthcare professionals to determine new treatment regimens and inspire research and development. Furthermore, Kaminski shares that in 2025 Angelini Pharma will also start gathering insights from Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and Patient-Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) in clinical practice using validated tools to significantly advance epilepsy treatments and the quality of life of patients living with epilepsy.
Through the coming together of patient communities and professional partners, Kaminski remains positive about the future of epilepsy treatment as well as Angelini Pharma’s ultimate goal of preventing epilepsy or, at the very least, achieving seizure freedom for all
We invite you to read Rafal Kaminski’s full op-ed for Labiotech here: https://www.labiotech.eu/partner/future-epilepsy-treatment/