Media Advisory:
Birth Defects and Antiepileptic Drugs: Emerging Data Points to Differing Levels of Risk

Landover, MD, December 2, 2004 -- Data from several global pregnancy registries will be discussed by leading experts at scientific meeting via teleconference on Tuesday, December 7, 2004.

What?

Many women of childbearing age take central nervous system (CNS) active medications—commonly known as anticonvulsant drugs or antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) for epilepsy, migraines, bipolar disorders or other medical conditions. New post-marketing surveillance drug data from antiepileptic drug pregnancy registries from around the world provide very promising and clear guidance to women and their physicians about the differential birth-defect risks associated with specific AEDs.

In an effort to raise awareness about this emerging data, the Epilepsy Foundation, in partnership with the American Epilepsy Society (AES), is sponsoring this briefing to share the latest research results and provide a forum for the media to ask experts questions about what women need to know about AED drug usage and birth-defect risks before they become pregnant.

Who?

• Gregory L. Barkley, M.D., Associate Professor of Neurology at Wayne State University and Chairman, Professional Advisory Board, The Epilepsy Foundation;
• Lewis Holmes, M.D., Director of the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry;
• Kimford Meador, M.D., Principal Investigator for the Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs Study (NEADS), Melvin Greer professor of Neurology at the University of Florida;
• Martha J. Morrell, M.D., Clinical Professor of Neurology at Stanford University; AAN liaison to the AES Board of Directors

Why?

This information is relevant to a growing number of patients in the population—and the physicians who treat them—as more than 56 million AEDs were prescribed in the 12-month period ending September 2004, according to Scott-Levin's NRx Monthly AED market report. AEDs are increasingly used for treatment of several non-epileptic neurological pain symptoms including migraines and tremor, and for psychiatric disorders such as mood and bipolar disorders.

Experts estimate that:

• At least 50 percent of women taking AEDs are taking them for conditions other than epilepsy.
• More than 2.5 million women of childbearing age are being treated with AEDs.

When?

Tuesday, December 7, 2004, 10 a.m. (CT). (11:00 a.m. ET)

Where?

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Room 225
900 Convention Center Blvd.
New Orleans, LA

Media Only Dial-in Number: (800) 553-0329
Title: "Pregnancy and AEDs Briefing"

This Epilepsy Foundation program and its media briefing are supported by an education grant from GlaxoSmithKline.
The American Epilepsy Society's press room and resources are supported by an education grant from UCB Pharma, Inc.

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Contact Information:

Christer Osterling, American Epilepsy Society, (860) 508-9433.

Peter Van Haverbeke, Epilepsy Foundation, (504) 670-6908.