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Epilepsy Study Consortium
Our Mission
The Epilepsy Study Consortium is a group of scientific investigators from academic medical research centers who are dedicated to accelerating the development of new therapies in epilepsy to improve patient care. The organization’s goals include building a partnership between academics, industry and regulatory agencies and optimizing clinical trial methodology in order to responsibly speed new treatments to patients.
The Epilepsy Therapy Project is proud to be a sponsor of the Epilepsy Study Consortium together with FACES. View the Epilepsy Study Consortium website at www.epilepsyconsortium.org.
Supporters
The Epilepsy Therapy Project is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to advancing new therapies for people living with epilepsy.
Visit our websites at www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy_therapy_project and www.epilepsy.com.-
F.A.C.E.S. (Finding a Cure for Epilepsy and Seizures), at New York University is a charitable organization dedicated to improve the quality of life for all people affected by epilepsy through research, education, awareness and community-building events. Visit our website at www.nyufaces.org.
About the Epilepsy Study Consortium
Although a number of antiepileptic drugs have been approved for use in the last decade and a half, an estimated 30% or more of patients with epilepsy continue to experience uncontrolled seizures. Possibly another 30% experience significant side effects from these medications that impact their quality of life. To improve care for patients with epilepsy, it is critically important to discover new and effective therapies as rapidly as possible.
The Consortium membership believe the key to success in this area is the creation of a clinical research enterprise within an environment containing enabling resources. The Consortium will streamline the processes for determining the potential impact of new therapies, and reduce the organizational and regulatory barriers that hinder investigators and patients from carrying out this type of research.
The Consortium aims to accomplish these goals as follows:
- Creation of innovative trial designs, particularly as they relate to early, proof of principle studies that can rapidly distinguish a potentially safe and effective therapy while eliminating inactive candidates at the earliest stage of development.
The epilepsy Consortium, in collaboration with the advisory board has developed several proof of principle protocols which are available to clients. - Rapid, cost saving and efficient study initiation.
The Consortium clinical sites are often able to use the services of the Biomedical Research Alliance of New York (BRANY). This organization uses a single IRB and contract mechanism, permitting protocols to be approved rapidly for multiple institutions. - Rapid recruitment of patients for early, proof of principle clinical studies, which may involve selection of very specific and difficult to recruit populations.
All of the epilepsy Consortium clinical sites consist of highly specialized epilepsy programs with large outpatient affiliated practices. The proximity of the sites permits frequent meetings and interactions between coordinators, leading to optimization and harmonization of recruitment techniques and procedures between sites. - Availability of vast epilepsy expertise, which can be utilized for advisory boards or independent consulting activity.
The members of the Consortium are worldrenowned experts in antiepileptic drug therapeutics and various aspects of clinical trial design and statistics. These individuals can be rapidly mobilized to function as an expert advisory board to provide direction to sponsors.