Discover the possibilities of progress with this seizure treatment for your loved one
This is a sponsored post written in collaboration with UCB
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Caring for a loved one with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) can reshape every part of daily life—from routines to relationships to peace of mind. Even after trying multiple treatments, seizures may persist, leaving families constantly preparing for the unexpected. Over time, this can leave caregivers feeling cautious about what comes next. Exploring a treatment option that addresses seizures differently may help open new possibilities.
Significant and maintained reduction across seizure types
FINTEPLA® (fenfluramine) is a prescription medicine used to treat seizures associated with LGS in patients 2 years of age and older. FINTEPLA is available only through FINTEPLA Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), which requires monitoring because of the risk of problems with heart valves or high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs.
In a 14-week clinical study, patients who added FINTEPLA (0.7 mg/kg/day) to their existing treatment plans experienced a 24% reduction in monthly drop seizures compared with only 9% for patients taking a placebo. In this study, 0.7 mg/kg/day was the only dose of FINTEPLA shown to significantly reduce monthly drop seizures, though individual results may vary. Drop seizures included generalized tonic-clonic (GTC), tonic, atonic, and tonic-atonic seizures.
Reductions were maintained throughout the study across all four drop seizure types: GTC (46%), tonic (31%), atonic (34%), and tonic-atonic (47%). It’s important to note, however, that reductions in tonic and atonic seizures were not statistically significant, which means the specific impact of FINTEPLA on them is unknown.
At the end of the study, healthcare providers and caregivers evaluated each patient’s overall functioning using the Clinical Global Impression–Improvement (CGI-I) scale, where scores of 1 to 3 indicate improvement. More patients treated with FINTEPLA were rated as improved compared with those taking placebo.
And, in a long-term study, 25% of patients achieved 17 or more consecutive drop seizure–free days, while 50% of patients experienced at least 7 days in a row without drop seizures. Throughout this study, patients added FINTEPLA (up to 0.7 mg/kg/day) to their current antiseizure treatment plans.
It is important to keep in mind that this was an open-label study, which means patients and doctors knew FINTEPLA was being used and no placebo was involved. Because of this open-label, flexible-dose design, no conclusions of efficacy should be made and individual results may vary.
For many caregivers, improvements like these aren’t just numbers, they’re new realities.
“We now travel more often since Asaiah’s seizures are reduced; we go more places.” — April, mother of Asaiah, living with LGS
Designed to work with current treatment regimens
In most cases, FINTEPLA can be added without disrupting current treatments or compromising the progress your loved one has already made. There’s no need to adjust baseline antiseizure medications, and it’s compatible with common therapies like ketogenic diets, vagal nerve stimulation, and feeding tubes. FINTEPLA is taken by mouth and allows for flexible dosing based on how your loved one responds to and tolerates treatment.
However, it’s important to talk with your loved one’s healthcare provider about all of their medical conditions and every medicine they take—including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements—to be sure FINTEPLA is appropriate.
FINTEPLA should not be taken if your loved one is allergic to fenfluramine or any of the ingredients in FINTEPLA, or if they have taken medicines called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) within the last 14 days, as this may cause a serious or life-threatening problem called serotonin syndrome.
Backed by safety monitoring and real-world experience
In clinical trials, some of the most common side effects for FINTEPLA included diarrhea, tiredness, vomiting, sleepiness, and decreased appetite. Some patients taking FINTEPLA experienced weight loss early in treatment; however, in a long-term study, approximately half of the patients’ weight loss stabilized with continued treatment. A small proportion of patients taking FINTEPLA 0.7 mg/kg/day discontinued treatment due to side effects.
While these side effects were the most common, they are not all the possible side effects of FINTEPLA. It’s important to talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information, and you should always report any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. For medical advice regarding side effects, call your healthcare provider. You may also report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see the full Important Safety Information below for a complete list of side effects reported in the clinical trials.
To help protect your loved one’s heart, FINTEPLA is only available through the FINTEPLA REMS—an FDA-required safety program designed to monitor for rare but serious risks, including potential problems with heart valves (valvular heart disease) and high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary arterial hypertension). As part of this program, regular echocardiograms are required before, during, and one time after treatment to help monitor heart health over time.
Since its approval in 2020, FINTEPLA has been prescribed to more than 10,000 patients with Dravet syndrome and LGS worldwide. It’s been over 5 years of progress—toward improved seizure control, fewer emergency medications, and more moments of laughter, connection, and peace for families.
“Having fewer seizures allows Ezekiel to be up and alert and an active part of his own day.” — Jessie, mother of Ezekiel, living with LGS
Could FINTEPLA be the add-on treatment your family has been waiting for?
Visit the FINTEPLA website to learn more and download the caregiver brochure.
