MIAMI, July 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New York Times bestselling author Kurt Eichenwald will be at the Mayfair Hotel and Spa in Coconut Grove on Thursday, July 11, at 7 p.m. to discuss his 2018 memoir, “A Mind Unraveled,” in which he details his personal battle with epilepsy. The free event is in the Mayfair’s Crystal Ballroom at 3000 Florida Ave.
The event is sponsored by Engage Therapeutics, a company founded by a biopharmaceutical executive whose son has epilepsy, in collaboration with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, First Choice Neurology, Epilepsy Florida, Advanced Pharma-Miami, and the University of Miami Health System. Engage Therapeutics is developing Staccato® alprazolam, a hand-held inhaler that delivers alprazolam with a single breath and is designed to give people with epilepsy and their caregivers a way to stop an ongoing seizure.
In addition to Mr. Eichenwald, several local epilepsy experts will be at the event, including Ian Miller, MD, Director, Epilepsy and Neurophysiology Program at Nicklaus Hospital and First Choice Neurology; Patricia Dean, ARNP, MSN, Clinical Coordinator of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Nicklaus Children's Hospital and Chair of Epilepsy Florida; Kimberly Cruz, MD, Medical Director and Principal Investigator at Advanced Pharma – Miami; and Kamil Detyniecki, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology at University of Miami and University of Miami Health System.
An award-winning journalist, Mr. Eichenwald has authored five books. His second book, "The Informant," was made into a movie starring Matt Damon and directed by Steven Soderbergh. He is a senior writer at Newsweek and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, and he spent two decades as a senior writer at The New York Times, where he was a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Mr. Eichenwald also is a two-time winner of the George Polk Award, as well as the winner of the Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism and an Emmy Award nominee.
He also has earned wide acclaim for his memoir, the story of his battle to pursue his dreams despite his incapacitating epilepsy. As a college freshman, Mr. Eichenwald awoke one night on the floor of his dorm room, confused and in pain. In the aftermath of that critical moment, his once, care-free life became consumed by confrontations with medical incompetence, discrimination that almost cost him his education and employment, physical abuse, and dark moments when he contemplated suicide.
“A Mind Unraveled is an inspiring story about perseverance and fortitude in overcoming the paralyzing fear of seizures and extreme helplessness people with epilepsy live with every day,” said Gregory T. Mayes, Founder and CEO of Engage Therapeutics. Mr. Mayes, whose career in the biopharmaceutical industry has spanned more than 20 years, became involved in the epilepsy community following his teenage son’s epilepsy diagnosis in 2014. Leveraging his drug development experience and deep roots in the pharmaceutical industry, he founded Engage Therapeutics in 2017 to develop what could be the U.S.’s first seizure rescue inhaler.
Engage Therapeutics is sponsoring the multi-center StATES Study (Staccato Alprazolam Terminates Epileptic Seizures - NCT03478982), a phase 2b trial designed to evaluate the safety, efficacy and usability of Staccato alprazolam in patients with epilepsy who have a predictable seizure pattern. The StATES study is being conducted at approximately 50 trial sites in the United States, Australia, Canada and Jamaica. Please visit www.epilepsyhealthstudy.com for more information about the StATES study and www.engagetherapeutics.com/study-locations/ for a list of study locations.
For information on the event, email Brittany Van Nelson at bvannelson@engagetherapeutics.com.
About Staccato Alprazolam
Staccato alprazolam is a single-use, investigational epileptic seizure rescue therapy that combines the Staccato delivery technology, which is currently used in a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved product, with alprazolam, an FDA-approved benzodiazepine. It is a small, easy-to-use, hand-held inhaler that delivers alprazolam with a single breath potentially providing a way for people with epilepsy and their caregivers to stop an ongoing seizure. The Staccato system rapidly vaporizes alprazolam to form aerosol, with particle size designed for deep lung delivery, producing a rapid, systemic effect. In a phase 2a proof-of-concept study, Staccato alprazolam demonstrated rapid reduction of seizure-like activity in a photosensitivity model.
About Engage Therapeutics, Inc.
Engage Therapeutics is developing Staccato alprazolam for the immediate cessation of active and acute epileptic seizures. The investigational product is in the Rapid Epileptic Seizure Termination (REST) category of products. Engage Therapeutics is based in Summit, N.J. For additional information please see www.engagetherapeutics.com.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with nearly 800 attending physicians and more than 475 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children's Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.
First Choice Neurology
First Choice Neurology, a Florida medical group of neurologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, neuropsychologists as well at occupational therapists (OTs) and physical therapists (PTs), began serving patients in 2004 in response to South Florida’s increasing need for high-quality neurology services. First Choice offers both diagnostic and physical rehabilitative services for patients with a wide variety of neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, epilepsy, migraines, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, sleep disorders and strokes. Additional subspecialties include neuromuscular disorders, neuroophthalmology, pain management, neuropsychology, neuroradiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Epilepsy Florida
Epilepsy Florida (EFL) is dedicated to supporting those impacted by epilepsy by confronting the spectrum of challenges created by seizures. EFL was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3). EFL is the principal agency for epilepsy programs and services sponsored by the State of Florida, servicing the estimated 426,000 Floridians who suffer from the condition. It is a partner of the Epilepsy Alliance America. EFL serves as the lead advocate for the rights and needs of people with epilepsy and seizures at the local, county, state and national level. Epilepsy Florida provides many valuable services to individuals and their families, regardless of their financial situation, including advocacy, support, education, case management and more.
Advanced Pharma – Miami
Advanced Pharma - Miami is a dedicated Phase I-IV Clinical Research Facility, and its principals have participated in clinical trials since 1992. Our multi-specialty physician investigators are able to engage in many aspects of Phase I-IV Pharmaceutical, Biotech and Medical Device Trials. Its team of experts is dedicated to sustaining safe, ethical, high-quality medical research so sponsors can exceed their deadline and patients can benefit from the development of new treatments and therapies. Advanced Pharma-Miami brings efficiency, innovation and value to the clinical research process, with a strict adherence to protocol and GCP standards and uniform delivery of quality data to guarantee the most efficient and timely outcome in all trials.
Contacts:
Engage Therapeutics
Mark Theeuwes
mtheeuwes@engagetherapeutics.com