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UCB leads epilepsy hackathon to support patient needs through digital tools and services


• ‘Hack Epilepsy’ to be held simultaneously in Brussels and Atlanta, 24-26 April 2015
• Digital specialists to develop innovative, meaningful solutions for the epilepsy community

Brussels (Belgium), 18th February 2015– 0700 (CET) – UCB today announced that it will sponsor a two-city epilepsy hackathon – ‘Hack Epilepsy’ - with a single purpose to improve the lives of people living with epilepsy. The hackathon will be held simultaneously in Brussels, Belgium, and Atlanta, US, on the 24th -26th April 2015, and is expected to attract  developers, designers and digital experts.

“Epilepsy affects millions of people all over the world. At UCB, we want to support patients, their families and caregivers, with digital solutions that can connect them to valuable sources of knowledge and experience that can make a meaningful difference to their day-to-day living,” said Erik Janssen, Vice President Global Patient Solutions Epilepsy, UCB. “Hackathons are rapidly establishing themselves as a fast, effective way to develop innovative digital healthcare solutions. Creative, highly skilled online developers and designers relish the challenge of coming up with practical, workable prototypes that can be of real value to people with a severe disease such as epilepsy.”

At the Hackathon, digital experts will join forces with epilepsy specialists and patients to build  prototype digital tools aimed at supporting people living with epilepsy. Participants will face four broad challenges including accessing effective support and reliable information, empowering people to talk about their epilepsy, and knowing what questions to ask following diagnosis.

As well as developing digital solutions, teams at ‘Hack Epilepsy’ will compete for prize money for the most innovative prototype. Each team’s proposal will be judged according to its:

• Ability to meet the real needs of people with epilepsy
• Creativity, innovation and originality
• Feasibility of implementation
• Quality of presentation and demonstration

For more information and to register for Hack Epilepsy, go to www.hackepilepsy.com

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Epilepsy 1,2,3
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder affecting approximately 65 million people worldwide and more than 2 million people in the U.S. Approximately 1 in 26 people in the U.S. will develop epilepsy in their lifetime.

Epilepsy is considered to be a disease of the brain defined by any of the following conditions: (1) at least two unprovoked (or reflex) seizures occurring >24 hours apart; (2) one unprovoked (or reflex) seizure and a probability of further seizures similar to the general recurrence risk (at least 60%) after two unprovoked seizures, occurring over the next 10 years; (3) diagnosis of an epilepsy syndrome.

About UCB in Epilepsy
UCB has a rich heritage in epilepsy with over 20 years of experience in the research and development of antiepileptic drugs. As a company with a long-term commitment to epilepsy research our goal is to address unmet medical needs. Our scientists are proud to contribute to advances in the understanding of epilepsy and its treatment. We partner and create super-networks with world-leading scientists and clinicians in academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies and other organizations who share our goals. At UCB, we are inspired by patients and driven by science in our commitment to support patients with epilepsy

For further information
• France Nivelle, Global Communications UCB
T +32.2.559.9178, france.nivelle@ucb.com
• Laurent Schots, Media Relations, UCB
T +32.2.559.9264, laurent.schots@ucb.com
• Eimear O Brien, Brand Communications, UCB
T +32.2.559.9271, eimear.obrien@ucb.com

References
1. Fisher, R.S., et al., ILAE Official Report: A practical clinical definition of epilepsy. Epilepsia, 2014. 55(4): 475-482
2. Institute of Medicine. Epilepsy Across the Spectrum. Promoting Health and Understanding, Washington, DC: The National Academic Press, 2012 brief report. Accessed 29th October 2014 from http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2012/Epilepsy/epilepsy_rb.pdf
3. The Epilepsy Foundation of America. Who gets epilepsy? Accessed 29th October 2014 from http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/epilepsy-101/who-gets-epilepsy

About UCB
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 8500 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of € 3.4 billion in 2013. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news

Forward looking statements
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