Article appeared in Dravet Syndrome News; the original article appeared in Epilepsy & Behavior
Treatment for one year or longer with the antiseizure therapy Fintepla (fenfluramine) was shown to have a minimal impact on height and weight in children with Dravet syndrome, according to data from an open-label extension study.
Despite Fintepla’s active ingredient being fenfluramine — a medicine initially developed to suppress appetite — the data showed that children on long-term treatment had growth comparable to that of same-aged patients not on the therapy.
Moreover, the findings “suggest that most patients who initially lose appetite or weight eventually stabilize over time,” the researchers wrote.
However, the team suggested that body measurements should nonetheless be monitored during routine care for children on Fintepla treatment.
The study, “Treatment with fenfluramine in patients with Dravet syndrome has no long-term effects on weight and growth,” was published in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior.
To find out, data were collected from eligible patients, ages 2 to 18, who completed clinical trials evaluating Fintepla and entered a three-year open-label extension (OLE) study. All OLE participants started at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg/day and adjustments were made for efficacy from 0.2 to 0.7 mg/kg/day.