It acts as a GABAergic agent and as a positive allosteric modulator of GABAA receptor. Stiripentol, can improve focal refractory epilepsy, as well as Dravets syndrome, supplemented with clobazam and valproate was approved in Europe in 2007 as a therapy for Dravet syndrome and has been found to reduce overall seizure rate by 70%. In cases with more drug-resistant seizures, topiramate and the ketogenic diet are used as alternative treatments.Cannabidiol (CBD) was approved in United States for treatment of Dravet syndrome in 2018. A 2017 study showed that the frequency of seizures per month decreased from 12 to 6 with the use of cannabidiol, compared with a decrease from 15 to 14 with placebo.In 2020, fenfluramine was approved for the medical treatment in the European Union and the USA. Epidemiology
Dravet syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy, responsible for roughly 10% of cases in children. It is a rare genetic disorder that affects an estimated 1 in every 20,000–40,000 births. COVID-19
Although it is not clear whether people with Dravet syndrome are specially vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, recent publications have shown that affected individuals and their families have suffered some indirect consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as healthcare barriers, loss of therapies or economic issues. History
Charlotte Dravet first described severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy in Centre Saint Paul, Marseille, France in 1978 and the name was later changed to Dravet syndrome in 1989.
Macimorelin (INN) – or Macrilen (trade name) – is a drug that was developed by Æterna Zentaris for use in the diagnosis of adult growth hormone deficiency. Macimorelin acetate, the salt formulation, is a synthetic growth hormone secretagogue receptor agonist. It is a growth hormone secretagogue receptor (ghrelin receptor) agonist causing release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland.Macimorelin acetate is described chemically as D-Tryptophanamide, 2-methylalanyl-N-[(1R)-1-(formylamino)-2-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-acetate. Macimorelin (Macrilen™) was invented and first synthesized by the research group of Professor Martinez at University of Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientitifique (CNRS), France. This transpired from a long-lasting research collaboration with Aeterna Zentaris. Aeterna Zentaris later in-licensed macimorelin as a development candidate from the CNRS and proceeded with the pre-clinical and clinical development of the compound. As of January 2014, it was in Phase III clinical trials. The phase III trial for growth hormone deficiency is expected to be complete in December 2016.As of December 2017, it became FDA-approved as a method to diagnose growth hormone deficiency. Traditionally, growth hormone deficiency was diagnosed via means of insulin tolerance test (IST) or glucagon stimulation test (GST). These two means are done parenterally, whereas Macrilen boasts an oral formulation for ease of administration for patients and providers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers it to be a first-in-class medication. See also
List of growth hormone secretagogues

References
External links
"Macimorelin". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Macimorelin acetate". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine.