UCB announces new UK epilepsy collaborations

UCB has announced a pair of new UK collaborations that will see it providing support for epilepsy patients in various ways.

The first of these is a two-year alliance with University College London, which will utilise RNA sequencing and genome-wide approaches to highlight the genetic causes of the disease.

Dr Enrico Petretto, senior lecturer in genomic medicine at University College London, said: "The aim of our partnership with UCB is to use state-of-the-art genomic approaches to identify causal molecular pathways for epilepsy and ultimately identify and validate new drug targets to modify these pathways."

Meanwhile, the company will also be offering support for the Quarriers Scottish Epilepsy Centre, which provides care and assessments for people affected by the condition, as well as placements for trainee neurologists.

These announcements coincide with charity group Epilepsy Action's annual National Epilepsy Week awareness campaign.

It also comes after UCB allied with the International Bureau of Epilepsy last month to present prizes to three journalists via the 2011 Excellence in Epilepsy Journalism Award scheme.