SK Life Science, Inc. to Present New Data and Epilepsy Insights at the 2026 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting

Key Facts:

• SK Life Science, Inc. will present multiple posters at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting (April 18–22, 2026, Chicago, Illinois)
• Cenobamate data includes clinical outcomes, real-world evidence, pharmacokinetics and long-term efficacy
• New analysis presented at AAN 2026 expands on survey findings first shared during National Epilepsy Awareness Month (November 2025)
• "Hope, Hesitancy, and Hard Truths" survey examines communication between epilepsy patients and healthcare providers
• Survey respondents include people living with epilepsy, neurologists, epileptologists and advanced practice providers

PARAMUS, N.J., April 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Life Science, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., today announced that it will present multiple posters at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting, taking place April 18–22, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois.

The presentations highlight clinical and real-world evidence related to cenobamate, as well as new insights into the experiences and perspectives of people living with epilepsy and their healthcare providers.

Among the presentations is a new methodological analysis from the "Hope, Hesitancy, and Hard Truths" survey, which explores how patients and providers communicate about epilepsy treatment and seizure control. Initial findings from the survey were shared during National Epilepsy Awareness Month in November 2025; the analysis presented at AAN 2026 provides additional detail on the survey design and the broad group of respondents whose perspectives informed the findings.

Executive Commentary
"Understanding how patients and healthcare providers communicate about epilepsy is essential to improving care," said Sunita Misra, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, SK Life Science, Inc. "The methodology behind the 'Hope, Hesitancy, and Hard Truths' survey provides important insight into the experiences of people living with epilepsy and the healthcare professionals involved in their care, including neurologists, epileptologists, and advanced practice providers. By bringing these perspectives together, we can better understand barriers in treatment conversations and identify communication gaps that may influence care decisions."

What data is SK Life Science presenting at AAN 2026?
The AAN 2026 presentations include multiple analyses related to cenobamate across clinical, real-world, and pharmacokinetic settings.

• Healthcare utilization: Studies evaluating epilepsy-related and all-cause healthcare resource use following cenobamate initiation
• Seizure outcomes: Analyses assessing the impact of achieving zero seizures on healthcare utilization
• Safety and efficacy: Clinical data in adults and adolescents, including primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures
• Pharmacokinetics: Population analyses evaluating drug exposure in adult and elderly patients
• Treatment pathways: Research on delayed or deferred epilepsy surgery in people with drug-resistant focal epilepsy
• Long-term data: Open-label extension results in multinational patient populations

Poster Presentations at AAN 2026
SK Life Science, Inc. will present the following selected posters at the 2026 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting:

• Healthcare utilization: Epilepsy-Related and All-Cause Healthcare Resource Utilization After Initiation of Adjunctive Cenobamate (Poster 1.002)
• Seizure outcomes: Impact of Zero Seizures on Healthcare Resource Utilization Among Cenobamate Patients (Poster 1.010)
• Mortality risk: Mortality Risk After Initiation of Cenobamate or Other Antiseizure Medications (Poster 3.008)
• Clinical efficacy and safety: Efficacy and Safety of Adjunctive Cenobamate for the Treatment of Primary Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures in Adults and Adolescents (Poster 3.003)
• Pharmacokinetics: Cenobamate Population Pharmacokinetic Analyses: Exposures in Adult and Elderly Focal Seizure Subjects (Poster 4.009)
• Treatment pathways: Delayed and Deferred Surgery Associated with Cenobamate Use in People with Drug Resistant Focal Epilepsy (Poster 6.002)
• Adolescent population research: Cenobamate in Adolescent Patients With Focal Epilepsy: A Phase 1 Pharmacokinetic Study to Determine an Appropriate Dosing Regimen (Poster 10.003)
• New formulation bioavailability study: A Phase 1 Single-Dose Bioavailability Study of an Oral Cenobamate Suspension Formulation (Poster 11.007)
• Long-term data: Long-Term Efficacy of Adjunctive Cenobamate: Open-Label Extension of a Randomized Clinical Study in a Multinational Asian Population (Poster 11.005)
• Patient and provider insights: The "Hope, Hesitancy, and Hard Truths" Survey: A Patient and Provider Perspective on Epilepsy Treatment (Poster 11.002)

Full presentation details, including session times and locations, are available in the official AAN Annual Meeting program.

What is the "Hope, Hesitancy, and Hard Truths" survey?
The "Hope, Hesitancy, and Hard Truths" survey is a research initiative designed to better understand communication between people living with epilepsy and the healthcare providers involved in their care.

• Survey participants include people living with epilepsy and healthcare providers across multiple specialties
• Survey topics include treatment expectations, seizure control discussions, and perceived barriers to care
• AAN 2026 analysis includes expanded methodological detail and broader respondent insights

About Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures and is the fourth most common neurological condition.

• Approximately 3.4 million people in the United States are living with epilepsy
• Approximately 150,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
• Nearly 40% of people with epilepsy do not achieve seizure freedom despite available treatments

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Epilepsy Foundation, epilepsy can impact safety, daily functioning, and overall quality of life.

FAQ

What is being announced?
SK Life Science, Inc. is presenting new clinical, real-world, and survey-based epilepsy research at the 2026 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting.

What drug is being studied?
Cenobamate, an antiseizure medication, is the focus of multiple clinical and real-world analyses.

What is the purpose of the survey?
The "Hope, Hesitancy, and Hard Truths" survey examines communication between epilepsy patients and healthcare providers and identifies barriers to treatment discussions. According to SK Life Science, Inc., the survey aims to identify communication gaps that may impact treatment decisions and patient outcomes.

When and where is the event?
April 18–22, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois.

Who conducted the survey?
Wakefield Research fielded the survey. It was commissioned by SK Life Science, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

About SK Life Science, Inc. and SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

SK Life Science, Inc., with headquarters in Paramus, New Jersey, is a U.S. subsidiary of SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., a pioneering South Korean company in drug development and commercialization. Together, they are advancing innovative treatments for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and oncology, with 12 compounds currently in development. Utilizing target-based drug discovery, high-throughput organic screening/high content screening, computer-aided drug design, combinatorial chemistry, and integrating artificial intelligence across discovery, development, and operations to accelerate innovation, the companies drive R&D efforts in biology/discovery, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical development. For more information, visit www.sklifescienceinc.com.

About XCOPRI® (cenobamate tablets) CV
Cenobamate is an antiseizure medication (ASM) discovered and developed by SK Biopharmaceuticals and SK Life Science. Cenobamate reduces neuronal excitability through a unique dual mechanism of action, preferentially inhibiting the persistent sodium current and enhancing GABAergic inhibition at the type A γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA_A) ion channel. The precise mechanism by which cenobamate exerts its therapeutic effect is unknown.

Cenobamate is marketed under the brand name XCOPRI® in the U.S. by SK Life Science, Inc. Additionally, XCOPRI is commercialized in Canada and Israel by SK Biopharmaceuticals' partners, Paladin Labs Inc. and Dexcel Ltd. Cenobamate is marketed as ONTOZRY® by Angelini Pharma S.p.A. in Europe, the UK, and Switzerland.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND INDICATION FOR XCOPRI® (cenobamate tablets) CV

DO NOT TAKE XCOPRI IF YOU:

• Are allergic to cenobamate or any of the other ingredients in XCOPRI.
• Have a genetic problem (called Familial Short QT syndrome) that affects the electrical system of the heart.

XCOPRI CAN CAUSE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING:

Allergic reactions: XCOPRI can cause serious skin rash or other serious allergic reactions which may affect organs and other parts of your body like the liver or blood cells. You may or may not have a rash with these types of reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away and go to the nearest emergency room if you have any of the following: swelling of your face, eyes, lips, or tongue, trouble swallowing or breathing, a skin rash, hives, fever, swollen glands, or sore throat that does not go away or comes and goes, painful sores in the mouth or around your eyes, yellowing of your skin or eyes, unusual bruising or bleeding, severe fatigue or weakness, severe muscle pain, frequent infections, or infections that do not go away. Take XCOPRI exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. It is very important to increase your dose of XCOPRI slowly, as instructed by your healthcare provider.

QT shortening: XCOPRI may cause problems with the electrical system of the heart (QT shortening). Call your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of QT shortening including fast heartbeat (heart palpitations) that last a long time or fainting.

Suicidal behavior and ideation: Antiepileptic drugs, including XCOPRI, may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people, about 1 in 500. Call your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you: thoughts about suicide or dying; attempting to commit suicide; new or worse depression, anxiety, or irritability; feeling agitated or restless; panic attacks; trouble sleeping (insomnia); acting aggressive; being angry or violent; acting on dangerous impulses; an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania); or other unusual changes in behavior or mood.

Liver problems: XCOPRI may cause liver problems. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check your liver before you start XCOPRI and while you take XCOPRI if needed. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of liver problems, such as: yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), nausea, vomiting, unusual darkening of the urine, or feeling tired or weak.

Nervous system problems: XCOPRI may cause problems that affect your nervous system. Symptoms of nervous system problems include: dizziness, trouble walking or with coordination, feeling sleepy and tired, trouble concentrating, remembering, and thinking clearly, and vision problems. Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how XCOPRI affects you.

Do not drink alcohol or take other medicines that can make you sleepy or dizzy while taking XCOPRI without first talking to your healthcare provider.

DISCONTINUATION: 

Do not stop taking XCOPRI without first talking to your healthcare provider. Stopping XCOPRI suddenly can cause serious problems. Stopping seizure medicine suddenly in a patient who has epilepsy can cause seizures that will not stop (status epilepticus).

DRUG INTERACTIONS: 

XCOPRI may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how XCOPRI works. Do not start or stop other medicines without talking to your healthcare provider. Tell healthcare providers about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.

PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: 

XCOPRI may cause your birth control medicine to be less effective. Talk to your health care provider about the best birth control method to use.

Talk to your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if XCOPRI will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant while taking XCOPRI. You and your healthcare provider will decide if you should take XCOPRI while you are pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking XCOPRI, talk to your healthcare provider about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug (NAAED) Pregnancy Registry. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of antiepileptic medicine during pregnancy. You can enroll in this registry by calling 1-888233-2334 or go to www.aedpregnancyregistry.org.

Talk to your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if XCOPRI passes into breastmilk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while taking XCOPRI. 

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS: 

The most common side effects in patients taking XCOPRI include dizziness, sleepiness, headache, double vision, and feeling tired. 

These are not all the possible side effects of XCOPRI. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

DRUG ABUSE: 

XCOPRI is a federally controlled substance (CV) because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep XCOPRI in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse. Selling or giving away XCOPRI may harm others and is against the law.

INDICATION: 

XCOPRI is a prescription medicine used to treat partial-onset seizures in adults 18 years of age and older. It is not known if XCOPRI is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age. 

Please see additional patient information in the Medication Guide. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your condition or your treatment. 

Please see full Prescribing Information.

XCOPRI® and ONTOZRY® are registered trademarks of SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

SOURCE SK Life Science, Inc.