Desitin Pharma Ltd
Improving Epilepsy Treatment Through Better Formulation

Andy Stewart, Managing Director

When epilepsy treatment begins, the clinician’s choice of anti-seizure medication is only one aspect of the approach. For Desitin Pharma, an equally important part is which formulation best fits the patient’s needs in everyday life. Whether provided as a tablet, mini-tablet, liquid or other format, the method of dosing can directly affect how reliably it is taken and, in turn, influence seizure control over time.

A family-owned pharmaceutical company, Desitin focuses solely on epilepsy. In the UK, it provides anti-seizure medicines in patient-appropriate formulations and supports clinicians with tools and educational resources that help them assess those options. It also works to support continuity of care by helping ensure that the formulation chosen by the specialist is not changed during repeat prescribing or community dispensing.

“Epilepsy patients deserve better, and we support health professionals in considering the most suitable formulation for their patients at every turn,” says Andy Stewart, managing director.

With more than 40 active ingredients already available for epilepsy treatment, Desitin has chosen not to define itself by introducing another molecule. Its focus is on improving how existing medicines are used in real clinical settings. That distinction matters, as 40 to 50 percent of patients continue to experience seizures despite treatment. In a condition with a narrow therapeutic window, even small barriers to consistent dosing can have serious consequences for the patient.

Turning Formulation Information into Better Prescribing

How does access to consolidated formulation data support clinical decision-making processes?

Desitin’s work in this area began with a practical observation. Formulation was not always weighed as carefully as active ingredient selection, because key prescribing information was dispersed across hundreds of SmPCs and difficult to compare for clinicians in routine practice.

Desitin extends that support through regularly updated anti-seizure medication posters for UK clinics and an anti-seizure medication book developed with Young Epilepsy, a UK charity focused on children and young people living with epilepsy, for nurses initiating therapy to use with patients. These combined resources make formulation information more accessible at the point of care.

Why are different formulation types important for meeting diverse patient requirements?

Desitin’s formulation focus is most visible in its medicines. Most of its products are manufactured in-house in Hamburg, including a perfectly spherical two-millimetre mini-tablet designed to deliver a consistent amount of active ingredient. Originally introduced for children and patients with dysphagia, it has also proved to be more broadly useful. Its small sachet format is discreet and easy to carry, while its prolonged-release enteric-coated form can help make once-daily treatment achievable for some patients.

Clinicians have also reported that the formulation better supports a steady blood plasma profile than a conventional tablet. Its small size allows it to pass from the stomach more easily, contributing to a more stable release pattern.

The non-enteric-coated version adds further flexibility. The mini-tablets can be suspended in 10 ml of water to create a low-viscosity suspension suitable for feeding-tube administration, which nurses, caregivers and patients find easier to manage than higher-viscosity oral liquids or crushed tablets. Published real-world evidence also indicates lower healthcare utilisation and a lower average dose with mini-tablets than with a conventional tablet. The format has proved particularly valuable during transitions in care, especially when younger patients move on from paediatric services and need a treatment they can manage more consistently over time.

A case shared by a specialist neurology pharmacist illustrates that practical impact. A patient could not manage the standard large-tablet version of a prescribed active ingredient and could not tolerate the liquid alternative. After the consultant and pharmacist introduced Desitin’s mini-tablet formulation, the patient settled into therapy and achieved seizure control. The case also challenged their erroneous assumption that the more technically advanced formulation would be significantly more expensive.

Protecting Continuity Beyond Specialist Prescribing

To what extent does continuity of formulation impact long-term epilepsy treatment outcomes?

Helping clinicians identify the most suitable formulation is only part of the picture. Preserving that decision when care moves beyond the specialist setting matters just as much. Once treatment enters repeat prescribing and community dispensing, the originally selected medicine may be altered or substituted.

To help address that risk, Desitin has supported Epilepsy Action, a UK epilepsy charity, in launching Don’t Sub My Drugs, a communication programme that encourages patients to advocate for the anti-seizure medication originally selected by their specialist. Desitin shares the materials with epilepsy teams and caregivers at treatment initiation so the importance of continuity is understood from the outset.

“Substitution does not merely create anxiety. It can disrupt treatment stability and, in some cases, lead to serious consequences for patients,” says Stewart.

Desitin separates continuity of treatment from simple cost pressure. Any medicine it brings to market must offer value for money for the patient group it serves.

But unsuitable formulation is a different matter. When a patient is prescribed or dispensed a version they cannot manage properly, the effects may appear elsewhere in the healthcare system. This can lead to GP visits, emergency episodes or hospital admissions, creating wider disruption for patients and caregivers.

For that reason, Desitin does not seek to influence individual clinical decisions or second-guess professional judgement. Its role is to improve understanding of the available formulations so that the prescribed medicine can remain in place when appropriate. Its only direct intervention comes when a patient is told by a community pharmacist that a Desitin product is unavailable.

In those cases, it provides the relevant product information code so the pharmacist can locate the medicine in the ordering system. With six months of anti-seizure medication in stock and wholesaler availability already in place, Desitin is well-positioned to meet patient need.

Using Evidence to Strengthen Practice

These priorities continue to shape Desitin’s work in the UK. Instead of expanding into new therapeutic areas, it remains focused on strengthening formulation choice and continuity of epilepsy care. That commitment is being advanced through evidence generation and changes in clinical practice.

Desitin is working with a PhD student at the School of Healthcare at the University of Leicester to publish evidence on the impact unsuitable formulations can have on people with epilepsy and their caregivers. Two publications have already emerged from that collaboration. By highlighting positive impacts for both patients and system costs, they are helping to build a stronger case for change within the NHS.

The next stage is to translate that evidence into routine practice. Through a government-funded knowledge transfer programme, Desitin is launching a two-year initiative. Led by a specialist in healthcare behavioural change, it will support best practice and governance for primary care pharmacists involved in repeat prescribing and dispensing anti-seizure medications. The aim is to strengthen community-based epilepsy care while preserving the specialist’s original prescribing decision. These efforts extend Desitin’s role beyond supplying medicines to helping improve how epilepsy care is delivered across the wider system.

A Focused Operating Model

Internally, that epilepsy-specific focus shapes how the UK team operates.

Despite having a staff of only eight, its deep specialisation has helped establish strong credibility among clinicians who routinely manage complex prescribing decisions and continuity-of-care considerations. This expertise also enables close engagement with the evolving needs of patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals, reinforcing its standing in epilepsy care and underpinning its recognition as a Top Neurological Pharmaceutical Company 2026.

Its long-standing organisational structure further supports this role. As a family-owned business backed by its parent organisation in Germany, Desitin can respond swiftly to relevant formulation opportunities in the UK while also drawing on insights and experience from other European markets.

Against that backdrop, Desitin Pharma will continue focusing on the points where epilepsy treatment can lose stability after the initial prescribing decision. Efforts remain directed toward improving access to appropriate formulations, supporting clinical practice and generating evidence that strengthens continuity of care and long-term patient outcomes.