FINAL GPSJ Summer edition 2024 ONLINE VERSION.2pdf - Flipbook - Page 37
NHS & HEALTHCARE
GPSJ
Who cares if innovation in epilepsy
treatment will transform people’s lives,
make the NHS more efficient, and
improve the UK economy?
Ben Fear, Precisis Area Manager: UK, Ireland, Nordics, Spain and Portugal
with the status quo.
Ben Fear
Why epilepsy and why
innovation in its treatment isn’t
just a medical breakthrough
but something that should be
on everyone’s radar—from
policymakers to the person
sitting next to you on the bus.
You see, epilepsy is more than
just a medical condition; it’s a
life-altering, economy-shaking,
NHS-straining challenge that
affects way more people than
you might think.
First things first—what exactly is
epilepsy? It’s a condition that doesn’t
discriminate, affecting around 1
in 100 people globally, 1% of the
human race, approximately 70 million
people. In the UK alone, there are
about 600,000 people who have to
navigate life with this unpredictable
and often debilitating disorder.
Here’s a stark statistic to chew on:
only 34% of people with epilepsy
in the UK are employed, and those
who do manage to hold down a job
earn, on average, nearly 12% less
than their non-disabled counterparts.
Imagine being fully capable of
working but being sidelined by
a condition that’s only partly
manageable with current treatments.
And let’s not forget that the NHS is
shelling out over £2 billion a year
to manage epilepsy, from 100,000
emergency room visits to routine
drug consultations. That’s a lot of
money going into a system that isn’t
delivering perfect results
And why isn’t it? Well, even with
modern treatments, the outcomes
are far from ideal. After five years
of treatment, only about 20-40%
of patients have what could be
described as an “excellent” outcome.
Another 30-40% do “good,” but a
worrying 20% are stuck with a “poor”
outcome despite all efforts. So, while
anti-seizure medications (ASMs) are
the frontline defence, they’re not
the ultimate solution for everyone.
For roughly one-third of patients,
these meds don’t work well enough,
leaving them trapped in a frustrating
cycle of trial and error, side effects,
and persistent seizures.
This is where innovation steps
in and why we mustn’t just stick
A real game-changer on the horizon
is something called precision
medicine. Precision medicine
is all about tailoring treatment to
the individual’s genetic makeup,
lifestyle, and environment. Thanks to
advances in genomics, we can now
identify specific genetic mutations
that cause epilepsy, paving the way
for targeted therapies that could
make a real difference. Imagine a
world where doctors don’t have
to guess which medication might
work—they can know based on your
DNA.
For those who can’t be helped by
medication alone, surgical options
are available, but they come with their
risks and challenges.
Neuromodulation is another area
where we’re seeing some incredible
advancements. The concept isn’t
new—Vagal Nerve Stimulation
(VNS), for example, has been around
for decades. But while it’s helped
some patients, it’s not without its
drawbacks, including side effects
like voice changes, coughing and
headaches.
Then there’s the EASEE system
from Precisis GmbH, a German
company that’s developed a less
invasive neuromodulation device.
This system involves electrodes
placed under the scalp but outside
the skull, delivering targeted brain
stimulation to reduce seizures.
The results from clinical trials are
incredibly promising, with nearly twothirds of patients seeing significant
improvements after 24 months. If
this were a drug, it would be hailed
as a miracle cure, but because it’s
a device, it’s flying under the radar.
But make no mistake—this could be
the biggest breakthrough in epilepsy
treatment we’ve seen this millennium.
All this innovation is fantastic,
but it’s only as good as its
accessibility. This is where the
NHS plays a crucial role. The NHS
Long Term Plan emphasises the
need for personalised medicine
and advanced therapies to be
integrated into standard care. But
for that to happen, there needs to
be significant investment—not just
in the technology itself but in the
infrastructure and training required
to deliver these cutting-edge
treatments.
In the end, what we’re talking about
is hope—a future where epilepsy
is no longer a life sentence but a
manageable condition, or even one
that can be cured. It’s about giving
people back their independence,
dignity, and ability to contribute fully
to society. And yes, it’s also about
making our healthcare system more
efficient and our economy stronger
So, who cares about innovation in
epilepsy treatment? We all should.
Because when we improve the
lives of those with epilepsy, we’re
not just helping a small segment of
the population—we’re creating a
ripple effect that benefits everyone.
Whether it’s reducing the strain on
the NHS, boosting productivity, or
simply giving someone the chance to
live without fear of their subsequent
seizure, these innovations can
transform our world for the better.
And that’s something worth caring
about.
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