“This filing is another step in support of UCB’s epilepsy franchise and its long-term commitment to advancing treatment options for patients with epilepsy,” said Iris Loew-Friedrich, MD, PhD, Global Head of Development, UCB.

The NDA for lacosamide in epilepsy is supported by data from three clinical trials with a total of approximately 1,300 adults with uncontrolled partial onset seizures, despite taking one to three antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). In these studies, significantly greater 50% responder rates and reductions in median seizure frequency were seen versus placebo. The most common adverse events of lacosamide (greater than or equal to 10%) reported in these trials included dizziness, headache, nausea and diplopia.

A similar filing made to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) earlier this year for the use of lacosamide as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial onset seizures in adults with epilepsy, was accepted and is currently under review.

About Epilepsy: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder affecting 40 million people worldwide including 2.5 million people in the US. It is caused by abnormal, excessive electrical discharges of the nerve cells or neurons in the brain. Epilepsy is characterized by a tendency to have recurrent seizures and defined by two or more unprovoked seizures. There are many different seizure types and epileptic syndromes and effective classification guides treatment and prognosis. Between 70-80% of individuals are successfully treated with one of the more than 20 antiepileptic drugs now available. However, 20-30% of patients have either intractable or uncontrolled seizures or significant adverse side effects secondary to medication highlighting the ongoing need for the development of new antiepileptic drugs.

About Lacosamide: Lacosamide has a novel and dual mode of action. It selectively enhances slow inactivation of sodium channels and interacts with the neuroplasticity-relevant target-collapsin-response mediator protein-2 (CRMP-2).

About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium (http://www.ucb-group.com) is a global leader in the biopharmaceutical industry dedicated to the research, development and commercialisation of innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology products in the fields of central nervous system disorders, allergy/respiratory diseases, immune and inflammatory disorders and oncology. UCB focuses on securing a leading position in severe disease categories. Employing more than 10,000 people in over 40 countries, UCB achieved revenue of 3.5 billion euro in 2006 on a pro forma basis. UCB S.A. is listed on the Euronext Brussels Exchange and, through its affiliate, owns approx. 89% of the shares of SCHWARZ PHARMA AG. SCHWARZ PHARMA (Monheim, Germany) is a member of the UCB Group.

Forward looking statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current plans, estimates and beliefs of management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those that may be implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Important factors that could result in such differences include: changes in general economic, business and competitive conditions, effects of future judicial decisions, changes in regulation, exchange rate fluctuations and hiring and retention of its employees.

“Since even one seizure is a frightening, traumatic event with serious potential consequences, such as loss of driving privileges, limitations for employment and bodily injury, information about optimal, evidence based approaches for treating people with a seizure is important,” said guideline author Allan Krumholz, MD, a neurologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.

To develop the guideline, the authors analyzed all available scientific studies on the topic.

The guideline recommends a routine EEG be considered as part of the diagnosis of a person with a first unprovoked seizure. “Evidence shows an EEG revealed abnormalities indicating epilepsy in about one in four patients and was predictive of seizure recurrence,” said Krumholz, who is also a professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The guideline also recommends CT or MRI brain scans be routinely considered since the scans are significantly abnormal in one of 10 patients, helping to indicate the cause of their seizure. “A CT scan or MRI may lead to the diagnosis of disorders such as a brain tumor, stroke, an infection, or other structural lesions and may help determine a person’s risk for a second seizure,” said Krumholz.

For adults who experience their first unprovoked seizure, Krumholz says the results of an EEG, CT or MRI will influence aspects of patient care and management, including drug treatment, patient and family counseling, and the need for immediate hospitalization and subsequent follow-up.

Seizures are among the most common serious neurological disorders cared for by neurologists. Annually approximately 150,000 adults will have a first seizure in the United States. It is estimated that in 40 to 50 percent of these people, seizures recur and are classified as epilepsy.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 20,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as epilepsy, dystonia, migraine, Huntington’s disease, and dementia.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com.

American Academy of Neurology (AAN)
1080 Montreal Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55116
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http://www.neurology.org

A highlight of the new epilepsy.com site is a management tool that allows patients and families to maintain a complete electronic record of issues related to living with epilepsy. Patients will be able to keep track of seizures, medications and other epilepsy treatments, as well as side effects and other health-related observations. They also will be able to maintain a database of healthcare contacts and medical appointments, and receive automatic notifications when their prescriptions need to be refilled.

“We are introducing an extraordinary management resource to the epilepsy community at no cost. Patients and family members can access this user-friendly resource to aid them in managing their condition while providing their physicians with comprehensive information to fine tune their treatment,” said Joyce Cramer, President of the Epilepsy Therapy Project, and Associate Research Scientist, Yale University School of Medicine. “We hope this will help patients have more satisfactory outcomes with the medicines and therapies that are available today. Particularly for children with epilepsy, parents will be able to track which regimens are working as their children mature and require new treatment strategies.”

Epilepsy Patients and Caregivers Tell Their Stories

The new http://www.epilepsy.com offers state-of-the-art video, access to users with similar interests, as well as a place where members and groups can create their own web pages to relay personal stories, upload pictures, write blogs or even start their own podcasts. The site, which includes thousands of pages of in-depth treatment, educational and patient-generated content, has been simplified to allow user-friendly access across all audiences, lay and professional.

“Our goal is to make this powerful resource easily available to patients and anyone who is involved in treating or caring for someone with epilepsy. By facilitating discussion among patients, peers and professionals, we can help overcome the feeling of isolation that so often comes with the diagnosis, and continue to make progress in developing new therapies,” said Steven C. Schachter, MD, Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Editor-in-Chief, epilepsy.com. “We have a unique blend of up-to-date content, written and reviewed by medical professionals, and visitor-generated content, including chat rooms, which are monitored by an epilepsy nurse specialist. We invite everyone to explore the new features and wealth of information on epilepsy.com.”

“With this re-launch of epilepsy.com, we have added a new wiki dimension to every page of our website. We have also used new technology to bring relevant blog and community forums discussions alongside our edited content. We are inviting our community of patients, families and professionals to join with our epilepsy.com staff and editors in helping to build out our content on topics of interest to the epilepsy community. We believe this marriage of thousands of pages of edited professional content from epilepsy.com and its experts with the broad learning and real world insights of our community makes the new epilepsy.com a one-of-a-kind medical resource,” said Warren Lammert, Co-founder and Chairman, the Epilepsy Therapy Project. “Introducing new social networking and wiki features to the website, in addition to new tools for managing epilepsy, supports our goal of empowering people and caregivers living with epilepsy. I want to thank all of the epilepsy.com staff and editorial contributors as well as our web development partner Zoomedia, Inc. and its project team for their tireless and outstanding work on this significant project.”

Separately, the Epilepsy Therapy Project and Zoomedia, Inc. announced that epilepsy.com was awarded the 2007 eHealthcare Leadership Silver Award in the Consumer Disease-Focused Site category. Winners, chosen among over 1,100 entries, were recognized during a special presentation at the Eleventh Annual Healthcare Internet Conference held November 4 – 6, 2007 in Las Vegas, NV.

About Epilepsy.com

Epilepsy.com is an online resource providing in-depth information and community for people living with epilepsy and is the home of the Epilepsy Therapy Project. The mission of epilepsy.com is to inform, empower and connect patients, families and caregivers facing newly-diagnosed epilepsy and those struggling with epilepsy that has resisted the usual treatments. Founders and editorial board members of epilepsy.com include leading clinicians and researchers in the field of epilepsy.

About the Epilepsy Therapy Project

The Epilepsy Therapy Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance new therapies for people living with epilepsy. Founded in 2002 by a group of parents, distinguished physicians and researchers, the Epilepsy Therapy Project supports the commercialization of new therapies through direct grants and investments in promising academic and commercial projects. The organization has raised over six million dollars towards its mission. http://www.epilepsy.com

About Zoomedia

Founded in 1994, Zoomedia, provides life science clients with a full range of communications and marketing services, from analysis through strategic planning, implementation and production. We accelerate client success through intelligent communication initiatives that directly support business goals. By developing and implementing the right communication program at the right time, Zoomedia ensures that your company rises above the noise of what is an already crowded and fast growing market.