For the nearly 50 million people living with epilepsy worldwide, a seizure can arrive without warning. For some, it may pass quickly. For others, especially those living with drug-resistant epilepsy, prolonged or cluster seizures can become a medical emergency, requiring urgent intervention to prevent serious neurological damage or even death.

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Today, a project funded by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, CLUSTREL, is working to change that.

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A novel graphene-based technology could help bring faster, non-invasive relief to millions of people affected by seizures. CLUSTREL is developing an innovative non-invasive medical device to deliver medication rapidly and precisely immediately during a seizure. The project focuses on creating a smart, patient-friendly device that could help stop seizures at their onset, reducing the need for caregivers’ interventions, hospitalisations, and invasive treatments.

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What is CLUSTREL’s idea?

At the core of CLUSTREL’s idea is graphene, an ultra-thin nanomaterial known for its unique mechanical, electronic, and chemical properties and for its potential to revolutionise healthcare technologies. By turning graphene into an intelligent drug-delivery system, CLUSTREL aims to create a device that responds quickly to mitigate the consequences of a seizure, while remaining comfortable and easy to use for patients and caregivers.

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Over the 3 years of its lifetime, the CLUSTREL consortium made of clinicians, researchers and industry partners,  will work closely with patients and caregivers to transition and improve an already patented technology and prepare it for future clinical trials. The project aims to deliver a clinically relevant prototype of a medical device that is practical, scalable, and aligned with real-world patient needs.

 

"Our key goal is to bridge the gap between research bioengineering, nanomaterials, and microelectronics and the clinical reality", states Prof. Eng. Michele Giugliano, Scientific Coordinator of the consortium. "Through the efforts of world-class academic and industrial partners, we are truly committed to changing the lives of patients and their families."

 

“Support from the EIC is pivotal for seamlessly translating breakthrough technology into robust, scalable, market-ready solutions that will redefine the commercial landscape of epilepsy treatment and drug release"

- Dr. Audrey Franceschi Biagioni, founder and CEO of Sindrel MedTech and team member of the CLUSTREL consortium.
 

Kick-off at the University of Modena 

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CLUSTREL has officially started and kicked off activities in Modena, Italy in July 2026, gathering the consortium team members from Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali,Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Sindrel MedTech, University of Trieste, and Future Needs.

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