Epilog.us To Shift Focus Of Discussion To Epilepsy And Aging

MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. [http://www.upsher-smith.com] today announced the addition of the topic Epilepsy & Aging to its epilepsy-focused educational website, Epilog.us [http://www.Epilog.us]. Epilepsy & Aging addresses the impact of epilepsy on the adult population over the age of 65 with a particular focus on women and veterans.  Also highlighted are results from a recent physician sentiment survey of more than 100 board-certified neurologists on their experiences with patients with epilepsy as they age.

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"As the population of patients with epilepsy ages, their treatment becomes more challenging," said Dr. Aatif Husain, Director of the Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, Professor of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center.  "Not only are there increased risks associated with cognitive concerns, but with seizure frequency, fractures and potential drug-drug interactions given the number of medications this age group typically takes.  It is important that we, as clinicians, are able to identify these unique treatment challenges and educate ourselves on the optimal treatment options available."

Epilepsy affects more than 300,000 seniors in the United States.¹ The number of seniors living with epilepsy is expected to rise in the future.²  By 75 years of age, three percent of the population will likely be diagnosed with epilepsy; 10 percent will have had a seizure of some type.  In contrast, only one percent will have developed epilepsy by age 20.¹

Epilepsy & Aging resources include:

• Ebook:  Epilepsy & Aging with commentary provided by Dr. Aatif Husain.  The ebook discusses treatment challenges faced by physicians who treat epilepsy in the aging population. Key features include: an overview of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; information on treating aging women and aging veterans with epilepsy; and a podcast by Dr. Barry Gidal, Professor of Pharmacy and Neurology/Division Chair, University of Wisconsin, that discusses pharmacologic concerns in patients with epilepsy as they age.
• Commentary:  Epilepsy in Aging Veterans written by Dr. Aatif Husain.  In the whitepaper, Dr. Husain provides expert commentary on the causes, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment options related to epilepsy in elderly veterans.
• Whitepaper:  Physician Sentiment Survey Results.  The whitepaper features findings from a survey of more than 100 board-certified neurologists conducted in July 2012 to gain a better understanding of physicians' challenges and concerns about treating aging (50 to 64 years old) and elderly (65 years of age and older) patients with epilepsy.
• Additional Aging & Epilepsy features include:  frequently asked questions; agree/disagree statements; and an online polling question.

Epilog.us is a disease awareness website offering healthcare professionals who treat epilepsy current evidence-based scientific data, dialogue on modern therapy issues, and expert insights provided by some of the field's most respected clinicians.  The site features regularly updated content including videos, white papers, podcasts, and interactive components addressing various epilepsy-related topics.  In addition to Aging & Epilepsy, Epilog.us also features current content related to Women & Epilepsy, Epilepsy & Comorbidities, and Practice Management & Epilepsy.  Future topics that may be featured on Epilog.us include:  Pharmacokinetics and Drug Delivery, Screening for Mood Disorders & Epilepsy, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), Autoimmune Disorders & Epilepsy, and Seizures in the ICU.

Upsher-Smith's Expanding CNS Pipeline
Upsher-Smith's central nervous system (CNS) pipeline includes a number of investigational drug programs for various indications within epilepsy, including USL255, USL260, and USL261.

About Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures affecting a variety of cognitive and physical functions.  More than two million people in the U.S. are estimated to be affected by epilepsy with about 200,000 new cases of epilepsy diagnosed each year.¹

About Upsher-Smith
Upsher-Smith, founded in 1919, is an independent and privately-owned specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Maple Grove, Minnesota that focuses on product growth and innovation for branded, branded-generic and generic pharmaceuticals.  Upsher-Smith has a particular focus on providing therapies to assist people suffering from central nervous system diseases (including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease) and also markets products relating to cardiology, dermatology and women's health.  In addition to products currently marketed, Upsher-Smith has an emerging neurology pipeline with three products in clinical development, two of which are in Phase III clinical trials.  For more information, visit www.upsher-smith.com.

1. Epilepsy Foundation. Available at:  http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/aboutepilepsy/whatisepilepsy/statistics.cfm.  Accessed on October 4, 2012.
2. Brodie MJ, Elder AT, Kwan P. Epilepsy in later life. Lancet Neurol. 2009;8(11):1019-1030. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=19800848

SOURCE Upsher-Smith Laboratories