The 2016 Epilepsy Foundation Pipeline Conference brought together decision-makers with a stake in the field of epilepsy treatment, therapeutic innovation, and product development. Speakers and attendees included emerging biotech and medical technology companies, major pharmaceutical and device companies, and researchers and innovators at the cutting-edge of epilepsy and CNS treatment advances. The conference also featured the 5th Annual Epilepsy Shark Tank competition. On Saturday, February 27, 2016, friends and family were invited to Community Day, a unique one-day event dedicated to people living with seizures, their loved ones, and epilepsy advocates.
Conference Video Archive
DAY 1 – Thursday, February 25, 2016
Welcome and Overview
- Mr. Robert W. Smith, Chair, Epilepsy Foundation Board of Directors
- Mr. Warren Lammert, Immediate Past Chair, Epilepsy Foundation Board of Directors
- Joseph Sullivan MD, Director, UCSF Pediatric Epilepsy Center
Session I: Keynote: 2015 Epilepsy Pipeline Scorecard – Advances and Challenges
- Moderator: Jacqueline French MD
- Why the Pipeline Matters – A Parent’s Story – Mrs. Hetty Weinstein
- Annual State of the Drug Pipeline – Daniel Friedman MD, NYU Langone Medical Center
- Annual State of the Device Pipeline – Edward Chang MD, University of California at San Francisco
- Panel Discussion
Session II: Epilepsy – The Five Year Mission
- Moderator: Mr. Philip Gattone
- Role of the Epilepsy Foundation – Our Five Year Mission – Mr. Philip Gattone, President and CEO, Epilepsy Foundation
- Regulatory Collaborations to Advance the Mission – Jacqueline French MD, Chief Scientific Officer, Epilepsy Foundation
- Status Report on NINDS Epilepsy Research – John Kehne PhD, Program Director, NIH/NINDS
- Big Pharma and Epilepsy – Where are we going? – Henrik Klitgaard PhD
- Panel Discussion
Session III: Pre-Clinical Drug Pipeline: Proof of Principle through IND
- Moderator: Steve White, PhD
- Inhaled treatment for refractory epilepsy – Michael Rogawski MD PhD, EpaleX
- Kv3 channels in rare myoclonic epilepsies – Charles Large PhD, Autifony Therapeutics Limited
- DiazePen as a rescue medication for ARS - John Kinzell PhD, Xeris Pharmaceuticals Inc
- SF0034 – Scott Edwards PhD, SciFluor Life Sciences
- Novel, non-sedating Propofol-based Anticonvulsants – Mark Robbins PhD, J.D., Tansna Therapeutics Inc
- Pairnomix: Personalized Genetic Research - Mr. Matthew Fox, Pairnomix
- 1OP-2198 – Mr. Christopher Crean, 1st Order Pharmaceuticals Inc
Session IV: Device, Early Stage
- Moderator: Daniel Friedman MD, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center NYU Langone Medical Center
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) – Bernard Chang MD, Harvard Medical School
- EEG Patch – Mark Lehmkuhle PhD, Epitel Inc
- Empatica Update - Rosalind Picard, Sc.D., Empatica
SUDEP Challenge Initiative
- Mrs. Cyndi Wright, Director, Epilepsy Foundation SUDEP Institute
Update from 2015 Shark Tank Winners
- Introduction by Jacqueline French MD
- Mark Cook MD, St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Melbourne, The University of Melbourne, Department of Neurosciences. Sub-scalp seizure monitor for epilepsy management – won $50,000 from Judges Award and $75,000 from a People’s Choice Award..
- Matteo Lai, Co-founder and CEO, Empatica Inc. Embrace: learn how stress and sleep impact your seizures – won $75,000 from Judges Choice Award
Shark Tank Competition
- Instant EEG to better diagnose and manage epilepsy: Aswin Gunasekar, Founder and CEO, Zeto
- #EpiBear: Emily Hoover, teenager with epilepsy
- M-Kifafa mobile technology for epilepsy awareness: Rosemary Gathara, Kenya Association of the Welfare of People with Epilepsy
- IR Hat, making life a bit safer for those who have epilepsy by reducing impact: Jason Hancock, Impact Reduction Technologies Inc
- EpiNightNurse: Internet-based system for nightly video and audio monitoring of patients with epilepsy: Tamara and Joachim Coche, parents of a son with epilepsy
- Mobile micro-groups and semantic enabled self management: Abbas Hasan, COO, Pearson’s
Lifetime Accelerator Award Presentation
DAY 2 – Friday, February 26, 2016
Day 2 Welcome
- Jacqueline French MD, Epilepsy Foundation chief scientific officer, introduces "Sally's Story: A Family's Journey Through a Clinical Trial"
Session V: Social Innovation and the Power of Partnerships
- Moderator and Introduction – Mr. Philip Gattone, Epilepsy Foundation
- Mr. Tom Stanton, Danny Did Foundation
- Michael Privitera MD, American Epilepsy Society
- Ms. Ilene Miller, Hope for Hypothalamic Hamartoma
- Mr. Jim Abrahams, The Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies
- Panel Discussion / Q&A
Session VI: Therapeutic Needle: Where are the next treatments and other therapies coming from?
- Daniel Lowenstein MD, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, University of California-San Francisco
Session VII: Clinical Devices/Other
- Moderator: Bernard Chang MD
- SAMi – The Sleep Activity Monitor – Mr. Charles Anderson, HiPass Design LLC
- Transforming Care for Diseases of the Genome - Mr. Mann Shoffner, Courtagen
- Responsive Neurostimulator - Dr. Martha Morrell MD, Neuropace
- Smart Monitor - Sanjaya Kumar MD, Smart Monitor
Session VIII: Who is investing in Epilepsy, Orphan diseases and CNS Therapy Research and Innovation today?
- Moderator: Garry Menzel PhD, Pronutria Biosciences
- Mr. Daniel Fischer, Parent Powered Innovation and Intellimedix
- Matthew During, MD, Ovid Therapeutics
- Kiran Reddy MD, Clarus Ventures
- Panel Discussion / Q&A
Session IX: Clinical Drugs
- Moderator: Michael Privitera MD
- Diazepam Nasal Spray for Cluster Seizures – Rajesh Shukla PhD, Acorda Therapeutics
- Epidiolex (Cannabidiol, CBD) – Kenneth Sommerville MD, GW Pharmaceuticals
- Cannabidiol oral solution – Deborah Lee MD PhD, Insys Therapeutics
- Carbamazepine IV – Jouko Isojarvi MD PhD, Lundbeck
- Ganaxolone – Julia Tsai PhD, Marinus Pharmaceuticals
- Development program for status epilepticus – Stephen Kanes MD PhD, Sage Therapeutics
- BIS-001, Synthetic Huperzine – Stephen Collins MD PhD, Biscayne Pharmaceuticals
- Nasal Diazepam - Mr. Craig Chambliss, Neurelis
- ux007, Triheptanoin – Alexandra Bowden PhD, Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals
- Inhaled alprazolam – Jacqueline French MD, on behalf of Alexza Pharmaceuticals
- Transdermal CBD gel ZYN002 – Donna Gutterman, Pharm.D., Zynerba Pharmaceuticals
- ANAVEX 2-73 – Christopher Missling PhD, Anavex Life Sciences Corp
- ZX008 - Gail Farfel, Ph.D., Zogenix
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