CONFIDENCE IN THE CLASSROOM


Team up with VALTOCO® (diazepam nasal spray)
to change the seizure rescue experience at school

Thur, October 17 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
Tues, October 22 • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET
Thur, October 24 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET
Tues, October 29 • 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET

Presenters

Jessica Bishop, MPAS, PA-C


Physician Assistant
Consultants in Epilepsy and Neurology
Idaho Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
Boise, ID

Ms Bishop earned her Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Idaho State University in Pocatello and is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

She has been working for 7 years with Dr. Robert Wechsler at Consultants in Epilepsy and Neurology, Idaho Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, in Boise. She has participated as a sub-investigator in many antiseizure medication clinical trials and presented abstracts at the American Epilepsy Society annual meeting.

Bethany Thomas, DNP, FNP-BC, CNRN


Nurse Practitioner, Penn Epilepsy Center
Nurse Practitioner Clinical Coordinator,
Department of Neurology
Penn Medicine
Philadelphia, PA

Dr Thomas earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has previously held positions as a clinical nurse and adjunct clinical faculty in an undergraduate and graduate nursing program and has practiced in epilepsy clinic and neurological intensive care settings. Dr Thomas is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Family Nurse Practitioner and by the American Board of Neuroscience Nursing as a Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse.

Dr Thomas is currently a nurse practitioner at the Penn Epilepsy Center and the Nurse Practitioner Clinical Coordinator in the Department of Neurology at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society. Dr Thomas has produced several posters, presentations, and articles about epilepsy.

Confidence in the Classroom

Team up with VALTOCO® (diazepam nasal spray) to change the seizure rescue experience at school
Indication

VALTOCO® (diazepam nasal spray) is indicated for the acute treatment of intermittent, stereotypic episodes of frequent seizure activity (ie, seizure clusters, acute repetitive seizures) that are distinct from a patient’s usual seizure pattern in patients with epilepsy 6 years of age and older.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: RISKS FROM CONCOMITANT USE WITH OPIOIDS; ABUSE, MISUSE, AND ADDICTION; and DEPENDENCE AND WITHDRAWAL REACTIONS

  • Concomitant use of benzodiazepines and opioids may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death. Reserve concomitant prescribing of these drugs for patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate. Limit dosages and durations to the minimum required. Follow patients for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation.
  • The use of benzodiazepines, including VALTOCO, exposes users to risks of abuse, misuse, and addiction, which can lead to overdose or death. Abuse and misuse of benzodiazepines commonly involve concomitant use of other medications, alcohol, and/or illicit substances, which is associated with an increased frequency of serious adverse outcomes. Before prescribing VALTOCO and throughout treatment, assess each patient’s risk for abuse, misuse, and addiction.
  • The continued use of benzodiazepines may lead to clinically significant physical dependence. The risks of dependence and withdrawal increase with longer treatment duration and higher daily dose. Although VALTOCO is indicated only for intermittent use, if used more frequently than recommended, abrupt discontinuation or rapid dosage reduction of VALTOCO may precipitate acute withdrawal reactions, which can be life-threatening. For patients using VALTOCO more frequently than recommended, to reduce the risk of withdrawal reactions, use a gradual taper to discontinue VALTOCO.

Contraindications: VALTOCO is contraindicated in patients with:

  • Hypersensitivity to diazepam
  • Acute narrow-angle glaucoma

Central Nervous System (CNS) Depression

Benzodiazepines, including VALTOCO, may produce CNS depression. Caution patients against engaging in hazardous activities requiring mental alertness, such as operating machinery, driving a motor vehicle, or riding a bicycle, until the effects of the drug, such as drowsiness, have subsided, and as their medical condition permits.

The potential for a synergistic CNS-depressant effect when VALTOCO is used with alcohol or other CNS depressants must be considered, and appropriate recommendations made to the patient and/or care partner.

Suicidal Behavior and Ideation

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), including VALTOCO, increase the risk of suicidal ideation and behavior. Patients treated with any AED for any indication should be monitored for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and/or unusual changes in mood or behavior.

Glaucoma

Benzodiazepines, including VALTOCO, can increase intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma. VALTOCO may be used in patients with open-angle glaucoma only if they are receiving appropriate therapy. VALTOCO is contraindicated in patients with narrow-angle glaucoma.

Neonatal Sedation and Withdrawal Syndrome

Use of VALTOCO late in pregnancy can result in sedation (respiratory depression, lethargy, hypotonia) and/or withdrawal symptoms (hyperreflexia, irritability, restlessness, tremors, inconsolable crying, and feeding difficulties) in the neonate. Monitor neonates exposed to VALTOCO during pregnancy or labor for signs of sedation and monitor neonates exposed to VALTOCO during pregnancy for signs of withdrawal; manage these neonates accordingly.

Risk of Serious Adverse Reactions in Infants due to Benzyl Alcohol Preservative

VALTOCO is not approved for use in neonates or infants. Serious and fatal adverse reactions, including “gasping syndrome,” can occur in neonates and low-birth-weight infants treated with benzyl alcohol–preserved drugs, including VALTOCO. The “gasping syndrome” is characterized by central nervous system depression, metabolic acidosis, and gasping respirations. The minimum amount of benzyl alcohol at which serious adverse reactions may occur is not known.

Adverse Reactions

The most common adverse reactions (at least 4%) were somnolence, headache, and nasal discomfort.

Diazepam, the active ingredient in VALTOCO, is a Schedule IV controlled substance.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Neurelis, Inc. at 1-866-696-3873 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (www.fda.gov/medwatch).

Please read full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, for additional important safety information.

© Neurelis, Inc. 2023. All rights reserved.
NEURELIS, VALTOCO, and the NEURELIS and VALTOCO logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Neurelis, Inc.
 US-PRC-21-00293-v4 04/2024