Epilepsy Clinical Trials
Clinical trials offer patients with epilepsy the chance to try new state-of-the-art antiepileptic treatements before they are available on the market as part of a research study.
MUSC is now participating in a study of Responsive Neurostimulator Systems, which can be thought of as implanted anti-epilepsy pacemakers. For more details, download the full study description(pdf).
Many new antiepileptic medications are being studied which work to stop seizures in new and different ways. Trying new medications through clinical trials may improve a patient's seizure disorder but it also provides benefit to other epilepsy patients since new knowledge about medications and epilepsy is gained. These new epilepsy medications are provided to patients for free by pharmaceutical companies if patients are willing to follow the guidelines of the clinical trial study and visit MUSC frequently (usually every 2-8 weeks). During clinical trial visits, patients receive physical examinations, laboratory testing, and other study procedures and they are given the study medication (which is not available in pharmacies).
The MUSC epilepsy physicians work with staff at the MUSC Translational Research Unit to coordinate epilepsy clinical trials at MUSC. If you are interested in participating in an epilepsy clinical trial, please contact the MUSC epilepsy clinical trial coordinator Kathy Branbury RN at 843-792-9174.