W. Donald Shields, MD, Professor Emeritus of Neurology and Pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and President of the Child Neurology Foundation, commented, "Research into orphan disorders like infantile spasms often suffers from a lack of funding. That is why we are pleased to continue partnering with Questcor Pharmaceuticals. They have made a multi-year commitment to fund basic research into the causes and consequences of infantile spasms. Our hope is that better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology will lead to new and even more effective treatments for this very rare but devastating form of childhood epilepsy."Infantile SpasmsInfantile Spasms is a severe, ultra-rare form of epilepsy that affects infants, with onset typically occurring during the first year of life in about 90 percent of cases. IS incidence is estimated at approximately 2,000 new cases in the U.S. per year, which can be classified as an ultra-orphan disease. For comparison, orphan disease designation pertains to diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people. IS patients experience rapid, characteristic muscular contraction or extensions lasting one to two seconds and occurring in clusters ranging from a few spasms to more than 100 spasms per cluster. Often, in the beginning, the attacks are brief, infrequent and not typical, so it is quite common for the diagnosis to be delayed. Frequently, due to the pattern of the attacks and the cry that an infant gives during or after an attack, the attacks are sometimes initially thought to be due to colic or gastric distress.
Questcor Teams With Child Neurology Foundation To Continue Funding Infantile Spasms Scientific Research
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