A post hoc analysis presented at the Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting found that diazepam nasal spray (Valtoco) terminated nearly three-quarters of tonic-clonic status epilepticus episodes in children aged 2–17, with 92.5% requiring only a single dose. Separate analyses also showed that time between seizure clusters lengthened with ongoing treatment. Despite these promising findings, only about 1 in 5 children with seizure clusters had been prescribed a rescue medication.
New data presented at the 55th Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting highlight the effectiveness of diazepam nasal spray (Valtoco) in managing pediatric seizure emergencies. A post hoc analysis pooling data from two clinical studies found that the spray terminated 73.3% of tonic-clonic status epilepticus (SE) episodes in children aged 2–17 before the critical 30-minute threshold — and 92.5% of those episodes required just a single dose.
A second analysis tracked intervals between treated seizure clusters over time, finding that the average time between clusters roughly doubled across study periods in both younger (ages 2–5) and older (ages 6–17) patient groups. A third, real-world analysis from a Canadian pediatric epilepsy center revealed a striking treatment gap: only 19.9% of children with seizure clusters had been prescribed any rescue medication.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: These findings underscore both the clinical utility of diazepam nasal spray and a significant gap in real-world prescribing. With the FDA having expanded Valtoco's indication to children as young as 2 in April 2025, more kids are now eligible — but the data suggest many aren't getting access to rescue therapy at all.
