Epilepsy care is entering a new era. For decades, treatment has focused on controlling seizures, but advances in precision medicine are opening the door to therapies that target the underlying causes of disease. This program grew out of the work of the AES Presidential Task Force and reflects an important in conversation the field of epilepsy: as disease modifying therapies move closer to clinical practice, we must consider not only the emerging science, but also how these therapies can be implemented safely, ethically, and equitably.
The program includes one live Ask the Expert webinar and three recorded webinars. In the live session, a panel of experts reviews the evolving pipeline of disease modifying therapies and discusses what it will take to deliver them responsibly, including clinical readiness, infrastructure and workforce needs, informed consent, long-term follow-up, and equitable access for patients in both academic and community settings. The three recorded webinars each take a closer look at a major therapeutic approach: antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), gene therapy, and stem cell derived therapies. Together, they cover how each approach works, where it stands in development, and what ongoing research means for patients and clinicians.
These sessions give clinicians, researchers, and other members of the epilepsy community a grounded understanding of where disease modifying therapies stand today and how the field can prepare for their arrival in practice.
Disease Modifying Therapies Task Force
- Erika Axeen, MD
- Scott Demarest, MD
- Kunal Gupta, MD, PhD, FAANS
- John Hixson, MD
- Sucheta Joshi, MD, MS, FCNS, FAES
- Jack Parent, MD
- Anup Patel, MD, FAAN, FAES, FCNS
- Veronica Robbins-Hood, PhD
- Lacey Smith, MS, CGC
- Joseph Sullivan, MD
- Julie Ziobro, MD, PhD