The Epilepsy Foundation announced on April 24 the launch of a new Human Epilepsy Project study of focal seizures to better understand the long-term challenges of living with focal seizures and determine biomarkers of epilepsy severity and treatment response. The biomarkers research study, HEP2, will monitor 200 people with treatment-resistant focal seizures over a two-year period to measure changes in seizure frequency, treatments used, presence of comorbidities — such as depression and anxiety — healthcare costs, and quality of life. HEP2 is the second in a group of registry-based studies called the Human Epilepsy Project, a joint initiative of the Epilepsy Foundation and the Epilepsy Study Consortium to improve the care of people with epilepsy.
“This new research study is another step in our efforts to better understand focal epilepsy and uncover data that will help accelerate therapies to help people with epilepsy have seizure-free lives,” said Dr. Brandy Fureman, Vice President for Research & New Therapies, Epilepsy Foundation. “We believe HEP2 could have a major impact on prevention strategies, treatments and cures for those who have not responded to current treatments.”
HEP2 is enrolling participants at designated study centers throughout the U.S., including New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Minnesota, and California. The study will also have an international center in Finland. The HEP2 study will follow 200 participants between the ages of 16 and 65 who have a history of focal epilepsy, have four or more seizures per month and have tried four or more drugs to control seizures without success.