Belgian biopharma UCB is seeking to boost awareness of what epilepsy looks like to patients, literally, with a new campaign using art to tell their stories.
Launched alongside the 16th European Epilepsy Congress in Athens this week, the “Expressing Epilepsy” campaign features three artists living with forms of epilepsy sharing their lived experiences through art.
The artists are Noëmi Manser, a Swiss artist living in France; Stephanie Gowdy of the United States; and Anastasia Egonyan, a Ukrainian artist living in the U.K. Their work is being exhibited at the EEC.
Manser expresses her epilepsy physically, painting with both hands at the same time, a technique that comes from her direct experience with epilepsy. “Through expressive visual storytelling, my work creates space for complex emotions and lived experiences that can often be difficult to articulate in words,” she said in a Sept. 8 release.
Gowdy’s acrylic piece, “A Mountain of Your Own,” shows how epilepsy affects more than just the person with the condition, extending to family and friends around them.
“I Cried of Fear and Pain” from Egonyan, meanwhile, is a textile piece. She said that while “epilepsy has never appeared directly in my artwork, it has profoundly shaped my life and influenced the path I have taken.”
Videos about the artists and their work have also been shared on UCB’s Instagram account.
UCB said the exhibition is intended to bring more attention to the lived experiences of people with epilepsy, which can be overlooked in conversations centered on clinical characterization and treatment management.
“While their expertise is vital, something critical has been missing: the voices of the people actually living with these conditions,” the company said.
“As Global Patient Engagement and Advocacy Lead at UCB, I believe understanding epilepsy begins by listening to the people who live with it every day,” said Danya Kaye, patient engagement and advocacy lead for epilepsy, in a release.
“Expressing Epilepsy uses the power of art to bring forward experiences that are often unseen, helping spark empathy, challenge stigma and create space for more open conversations.”
UCB markets Fintepla, which was first approved in 2020 to treat seizures associated with Dravet syndrome, a rare, severe form of epilepsy.
Two years later, Fintepla gained an expanded indication for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. UCB is also seeking approval for a third indication in the ultra-rare CDKL5 deficiency disorder.
The drug made €427 million in sales for the full year 2025, marking a 26% increase year over year.