Pressmeddelande -
Angelini Pharma and The European House – Ambrosetti’s Headway Epilepsy report shows up to 40% of European patients living with epilepsy are receiving inadequate treatment to control seizures
- Key findings highlight capacity-related challenges and low prioritization assigned to epilepsy care, contributing to lack of access to quality care
- Report identified additional burdens for people living with epilepsy related to quality of life across physical, environmental and mental health indicators
- Detailed results and perspectives being presented from a multidisciplinary panel of experts today during the “Headway – A new roadmap in Brain Health: Focus Epilepsy” event in Rome
Rome (Italy) 17 July 2023 – Angelini Pharma, part of the privately owned Angelini Industries, and The European House – Ambrosetti, an Italian Think Tank, today announced the publication of the second edition of the “Headway – A new roadmap in Brain Health: Focus Epilepsy” report as part of an ongoing partnership aimed at sharing knowledge, raising awareness and promoting better health for people living with epilepsy in Europe.
In addition, these findings were shared today at an event hosted at Spazio Europa in Rome, a public space managed by the Office of the European Parliament in Italy and the European Commission's Representation in Italy of the European Commission, with the aim of promoting knowledge sharing and debate on European issues. The event featured a multidisciplinary and cross-functional panel of experts within the epilepsy field across the academic, advocacy and broader healthcare sectors.
Today’s report provides an update to and additional analyses from previous findings, providing both pan-European and certain country-level data to identify challenges and recommend potential solutions that reduce the burden of epilepsy within healthcare and society more broadly. The report demonstrated an ongoing treatment gap for epilepsy care in Europe, including significant differences in access to treatment between countries. Importantly, even though approximately 70% of people with epilepsy are likely to respond to treatment, around 40% across Europe - and up to 90% in some areas - are not receiving optimal care.
The decreased capacity in healthcare systems, inequitable distribution of resources and lower prioritization of epilepsy care were also found to result in direct, higher costs to healthcare systems and diminish the quality of life for these patients. Part of the ongoing Headway initiative, Angelini Pharma and The European House – Ambrosetti’s “Headway – A new roadmap in Brain Health: Focus Epilepsy”comprised a multi-stakeholder and multi-dimensional analysis from various sectors such as healthcare, private industry, academia and government while also gathering personal perspectives from patient associations, clinicians and policy makers, among others.
“Today’s Headway Report not only demonstrates how much more we need to do to improve the state of epilepsy care in Europe, but also that collaboration across industry, clinical and patient associations, academia and government is essential to bring epilepsy to the top of the public health agenda,” said Jacopo Andreose, Chief Executive Officer of Angelini Pharma. “Although one of the most widespread chronic neurological diseases in Europe, only a few countries have implemented national plans to manage this condition and still fewer recognize it as a brain disorder. We are committed to continuing shedding light on the true burden of this disease for patients and healthcare systems in Europe.”
“Epilepsy has a profound impact on those living with this disease and research shows quality of life extends far beyond seizure control to nearly every aspect of everyday life, including stigma in social interactions, self-esteem, independence, memory, sleep and mental health,” said Elisa Milani, Project Coordinator and Consultant, Healthcare Area at The European House – Ambrosetti. “We are proud of our work with Angelini Pharma to share the Headway platform, and hope this will encourage more investigation and dialogue around the many impacts of epilepsy and how we can give these patients a better chance at living life on their terms.”
The report results indicate focus on capacity building, including more clinical and economic research on the burden of epilepsy, developing research tools and data collection methods and creating training and mentoring opportunities for stakeholders would help encourage higher responsiveness to health and socioeconomic-related needs for people living with epilepsy. Additionally, harmonization from a cross-country policy and guidelines perspective would help ensure a holistic European approach and streamline the implementation of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (IGAP) across these countries. Ongoing education and awareness building within the general public and media remain a key pillar to drive more inclusive and responsive working, educational and social environments.
“Many people living with epilepsy in Europe are not receiving optimal care and are therefore at higher risk of uncontrolled seizures and the many associated comorbidities, including inability to carry out day-to-day activities, injury and even premature death in some cases,” said Dr. Francesca Sofia, President, International Bureau of Epilepsy. “Today’s Headway report reaffirms the urgent need for our broader epilepsy community to collaborate around a shared call to action focused on ensuring every person living with epilepsy in Europe has access to and receives the best possible care.”
To learn more about “Headway: A new roadmap for Brain Health: Focus Epilepsy” or to download the full report, please visit: Headway – A new roadmap in Brain Health: Focus Epilepsy (ambrosetti.eu)
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About Epilepsy
Epilepsy is one of the most widespread neurological diseases in the world, affecting approximately 50 million people of all ages. In Europe, approximately six million people are estimated to be living with this disease. Epilepsy can have multiple potential causes, including genetics and other factors, though approximately half of cases worldwide do not have a known cause.
The complications associated with epilepsy are severe, with a risk of premature mortality up to two times higher than the general population and a life expectancy reduced by 10-12 years. The recurrent seizures associated with this condition also have wide-ranging effects on a person’s broader physical and mental health, education and employment opportunities and other quality of life factors such as social relationships.
There is currently no cure for epilepsy, though treatments are available to help reduce seizures and improve quality of life. Approximately 70% of people living with epilepsy are thought to be responsive to these treatments, while the remaining 30% do not currently have treatment available to adequately control their seizure-related symptoms.
About Headway
The Headway initiative addresses important issues in brain health across Europe. It was originally launched with a focus on mental health in 2017 by The European House – Ambrosetti, an Italian Think Tank, in partnership with Angelini Pharma, part of the privately owned Angelini Industries, with the aim of creating a multidisciplinary platform for strategic reflection, analysis, dialogue and comparison between various European experiences in the management of individuals affected by mental disorders.
Since its inception, the Headway initiative has grown to include several studies, reports and activities dedicated to advancing discussions around the mental health services and management needed for patients living with these disorders across Europe.
“Headway: A new roadmap for Brain Health: Focus Epilepsy”is the latest addition to the Headway initiative and helps increase our understanding of the current state of epilepsy care across Europe.
For more information on the Headway initiative, please visit Headway – A new roadmap in Brain Health: Focus Epilepsy (ambrosetti.eu)
About Angelini Pharma
Angelini Pharma is an international pharmaceutical company and part of the privately owned multi-business Angelini Industries. The Company researches, develops and commercializes health solutions with a focus on the areas of Brain Health, including Mental Health and Epilepsy, and Consumer Health. Founded in Italy at the beginning of the 20th century, Angelini Pharma operates directly in 20 countries, employing more than 3,000 people. Its products are marketed in over 70 countries through strategic alliances with leading international pharmaceutical groups. For more information about Angelini Pharma please visit https://www.angelinipharma.com.
About Angelini Industries
Angelini Industries is a multinational industrial group founded in Ancona in 1919 by Francesco Angelini. Today, Angelini Industries represents a solid and diversified industrial reality that employs approximately 5,800 employees and operates in 21 countries around the world with revenues of over 2 billion euros, generated in the health, industrial technology, and consumer goods sectors. A targeted investment strategy for growth; constant commitment to research and development; deep knowledge of markets and business sectors, make Angelini Industries one of the Italian companies of excellence in the sectors in which it operates. To learn more visit www.angeliniindustries.com.
About The European House – Ambrosetti
The European House - Ambrosetti is a professional Group, with 300 professionals, operating since 1965, which has grown significantly over the years, thanks also to the contributions of many of its Partners, developing numerous activities in Italy, Europe and the rest of the world. Since 2013, The European House – Ambrosetti has been named — in the category Best Private Think Tanks — the no. 1 think tank in Italy, the no. 4 think tank in the European Union and among the most respected independents in the world out of 11,175 on a global level (source: “Global Go To Think Tanks Report” of the University of Pennsylvania). The European House - Ambrosetti was recognized by Top Employers Institute as one of the 141 Top Employers 2023 in Italy. The European House - Ambrosetti has specific expertise in the healthcare sector with a dedicated professional practice, which for over 20 years has been developing different types of projects for all the players - both public and private - in the health ecosystem of health. For more information, please visit www.ambrosetti.eu and follow on twitter.com/Ambrosetti.
Media Contacts
Angelini Pharma
Daniela Poggio
Global Communications Executive Director
daniela.poggio@angelinipharma.com
+39 3486558882
The European House – Ambrosetti
Elisa Milani
Project Coordinator and Consultant, Healthcare Area
SW1308NP
