For someone living with epilepsy—or with a developmental and epileptic 
encephalopathy (DEE) such as Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome—life can 
shift in an instant and often remains in constant flux (or has been described by many as 
living through a constant storm). Seizures strike without warning, often frightening and 
isolating, and for those affected by DEEs the impact extends even further: 
developmental delays, cognitive challenges, and a cascade of comorbidities that disrupt 
nearly every aspect of daily life for both those living with the condition and caregivers. 
This reality underscores why urgency must remain at the center of everything we do at 
UCB: because seizures and the full impact of the condition don’t wait, and neither will 
we.

Acting Boldly, Leading Through Change

At UCB, change is not something we simply react to—it is something we embrace with 
curiosity and optimism. As a team, we are realigning how we work to move faster, 
collaborate more deeply, and deliver greater impact. Externally, we’re forging new 
collaborations—with advocacy organizations, technology innovators, and the scientific 
community—because we know progress happens faster when we move together.

For more than 30 years, UCB has stood alongside the epilepsy community, listening, 
learning, and seeking to continually innovate our science and solutions. We are making 
bold, strategic choices to remain a leader in epilepsy care, not just for today but for 
generations to come. As science advances, so will we. The landscape of neurological 
care is rapidly evolving and UCB is leaning in with a focus on creating a fundamentally 
different future. We are pushing beyond seizure management toward disease-modifying 
therapies that change the trajectory of the condition itself, including actively pursuing 
gene therapies aimed at modifying or correcting the underlying causes of certain 
epilepsies. We’ve advocated, innovated, and built what no one else has built—a 
portfolio of medicines that span chronic seizures (e.g., focal seizures), acute repetitive 
seizures or clusters, and rare solutions for Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. 

A History of Change in Epilepsy Care

Over the last century, the science and treatment of epilepsy have truly transformed—
but some of the most meaningful shifts have come in recent decades. Historical 
treatment options were extremely rudimentary and limited. They sometimes managed 
seizures but left patients with debilitating side effects. That began to change when UCB 
introduced the first treatment targeting the SV2A protein, a breakthrough that opened 
new possibilities for seizure control and set a new standard in care. Today, that 
breakthrough still remains a cornerstone of modern epilepsy care worldwide, and the 
lessons we learned from its discovery and development continue to guide us as we 
pursue what comes next. 

For example, the entrance of acute seizure medicines to treat repetitive or cluster 
seizures has given people and families the ability to timely intervene in critical 
moments—in some instances helping prevent seizures from escalating into emergencies 
and offering greater confidence in daily life. These advances reflect the growing ability 
of science not just to treat seizures broadly, but to respond with precision when and 
where people need it most.

We believe the future of treatment will become increasingly tailored, targeted, and 
transformative. As innovation advances, we will remain on the frontier in epilepsy care.

Learning from Those Who Made the Leap

History also shows us that success belongs to those who act boldly at inflection points. 
We’ve all witnessed this across industries that impact our day-to-day lives.
Organizations that began with an intent to revolutionize the availability and use of home 
computers are now seen as mobile lifestyle companies. They anticipated how people 
wanted to live, work, and communicate—delivering the ability to travel with thousands 
of songs, photos, and access to the internet in the palm of one’s hand before any of us 
knew, or even thought, it was something we needed to replace in our daily lives. In 
doing so, they didn’t just stay relevant; they reshaped their entire product categories 
around their users. That same mindset now drives their strategic leap into healthcare, 
where tools enabled through watches or other smart devices now empower millions of 
people to take charge of their own wellbeing—making health more accessible, personal, 
and connected. This, in turn, showed how looking ahead to their customers’ future 
needs can create new possibilities and improve quality of life.

Traditional healthcare companies need that same level of courage and foresight. 
Waiting for change to happen means missing the opportunity to meet people where 
they are. For people living with epilepsy and DEEs, every delay has consequences. The 
stakes are far too high for complacency. That’s why at UCB, we don’t just watch trends,
we act on them—pivoting our science, our operations, and our partnerships to 
anticipate what patients and caregivers will need next, not just what they need today.

Every Second Matters

When a seizure happens, a family doesn’t get to press pause. The unpredictability of 
that moment can mean a child misses a school trip, a parent is pulled away from work, 
or a caregiver spends long nights in the ER instead of at home. It can mean cancelled
plans, lost milestones, and the constant undercurrent of fear that life could be 
interrupted at any moment. In an instant, a child’s laughter can turn into fear, a family 
dinner can end in chaos, or a parent’s heart can race as they watch their loved one lose 
control.

But the impact of epilepsy extends far beyond the seizure itself. Sleepless nights filled 
with worry can leave both patients and caregivers drained before the day even begins. 
Anxiety builds around the “what ifs”—what if it happens at school, at work, on a drive, 
or in public? Depression, isolation, and the quiet toll on mental health become daily 
battles. For caregivers, it’s not just the physical exhaustion—it’s the emotional weight of 
constant vigilance, the guilt of missing out, and the helplessness of not being able to fix 
what’s beyond their control. For patients, even on seizure-free days, the uncertainty can 
steal rest, confidence, and peace of mind.

The unpredictability of seizures—and the ripple effects they create—steals not just time, 
but the simple joys of living freely. That is why we must act with intention and 
foresight. The future of epilepsy care depends on our ability to learn, evolve, and act 
boldly in service of those who cannot wait, addressing not only seizures themselves, but 
the broader, deeply human dimensions of life with epilepsy.

Therefore, at UCB our resolve is clear: To lead with urgency, to evolve with purpose, 
and to deliver hope through faster, more effective, and more transformative solutions—
continuing to bring forward medicines that address unmet needs while making bold, 
strategic choices that redefine what’s possible for patients and caregivers.

Because seizures do not wait—and neither will we.