Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UK schoolboy first to have epilepsy device fitted in skull

The neurostimulator, which sends electrical signals deep into his brain, has reduced Oran Knowlson’s daytime seizures by 80 per cent.

UK schoolboy first to have epilepsy device fitted in skull

A schoolboy from south-west England has become the first person in the world with severe epilepsy to trial a new device fitted in his skull to control seizures.

The neurostimulator, which sends electrical signals deep into his brain, has reduced Oran Knowlson's daytime seizures by 80 per cent.


The surgery was carried out in October at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London when Oran, now 13, was 12.

The surgery was part of a trial in partnership with University College London, King's College Hospital, and the University of Oxford.

His mother, Justine, told the BBC he was happier and had a “much better quality of life.”

She said, “We've seen a big improvement, seizures have reduced and are less severe. He's a lot more chatty, he's more engaged. He's turned 13 and I definitely now have a teenager – he's happy to tell me no. But that adds to his quality of life, when he can express himself better.”

Oran is part of the CADET (Children's Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy Trial) project, which is assessing the safety and effectiveness of deep brain stimulation for severe epilepsy.

The Picostim neurostimulator, made by UK company Amber Therapeutics, sits under the skull and sends electrical signals deep into the brain, reducing his daytime seizures.

The CADET pilot will now recruit three additional patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, aiming for a total of 22 patients to take part in a full trial.

(With PTI inputs)

More For You

Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates
vegetables from sides to stars

Camellia Panjabi (Photo: Ursula Sierek)

Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates vegetables from sides to stars

RESTAURATEUR and writer Camellia Panjabi puts the spotlight on vegetables in her new book, as she said they were never given the status of a “hero” in the way fish, chicken or prawns are.

Panjabi’s Vegetables: The Indian Way features more than 120 recipes, with notes on nutrition, Ayurvedic insights and cooking methods that support digestion.

Keep ReadingShow less
Spotting the signs of dementia

Priya Mulji with her father

Spotting the signs of dementia

How noticing the changes in my father taught me the importance of early action, patience, and love

I don’t understand people who don’t talk or see their parents often. Unless they have done something to ruin your lives or you had a traumatic childhood, there is no reason you shouldn’t be checking in with them at least every few days if you don’t live with them.

Keep ReadingShow less
HH Guruji performed the Dhwaja Ritual at Ambaji Temple

HH Guruji performed the Dhwaja Ritual at Ambaji Temple

Mahesh Liloriya

The holy town of Ambaji witnessed a spiritually significant day on Sunday as His Holiness Siri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, head of the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre, London, performed the Dhwaja ritual at the historic Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, one of the most revered Shakti Peeths of India.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eco-friendly Ganesh Utsav at Harrow’s Siddhashram Shakti Centre

Eco-friendly Ganesh Utsav at Harrow’s Siddhashram Shakti Centre

Mahesh Liloriya

The International Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow witnessed an inspiring and environmentally responsible celebration of Ganesh Utsav 2025, which concluded on Saturday, 6 September, with the Ganesh Visarjan ritual performed on the sacred occasion of Anant Chaturdashi.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mounjaro price rise

Eli Lilly has agreed a discounted supply deal for its weight-loss drug Mounjaro

iStock

Mounjaro’s highest dose to rise from £122 to £247.50, not £330

Highlights:

  • Eli Lilly had announced a steep price rise of up to 170% for Mounjaro.
  • A new discount deal with UK suppliers will limit the increase for patients.
  • Pharmacies will still apply a mark-up, but consumer costs are expected to rise less than initially feared.
  • NHS pricing remains unaffected due to separate arrangements.

Eli Lilly has agreed a discounted supply deal for its weight-loss drug Mounjaro, easing fears of a sharp rise in costs for UK patients. The new arrangement means that, from September, pharmacies and private services will face smaller wholesale increases than first expected, limiting the impact on consumers.

Why the price rise was announced

Earlier this month, Eli Lilly said it would raise Mounjaro’s list price by as much as 170%, which could have pushed the highest monthly dose from £122 to £330. The company argued that UK pricing needed to align more closely with higher costs in Europe and the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less