EU Policymakers, Clinicians, Patient Groups Call for Action on Essential Tremor to End Fragmented Access to Innovative Care

Organised by Insightec, the event marked a follow-up to last year’s inaugural conference, which saw the signing of a Joint Declaration by more than 30 stakeholders

BRUSSELS (19 November 2025) – For the second consecutive year, policymakers, clinicians and patient advocates gathered in Brussels for the Essential Tremor (ET) Conference, Driving Access: Ensuring Fair Access to Treatment for Essential Tremor Patients, to urge coordinated European Union action on essential tremor, one of the world’s most prevalent yet under‑recognized neurological disorders.

Essential tremor affects an estimated 60 million people worldwide¹, but research shows that up to one‑third of patients remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed², underscoring the need for greater awareness and equitable access to advanced treatment options.

Participants urged the EU to act on four priorities:

• Formally recognize essential tremor as a distinct disease.
• Develop a comprehensive European strategy for brain health and disorders to strengthen the resilience of the European Health Union.
• Support consistent national reimbursement schemes to end unequal access to treatment.
• Establish an EU Coordination Brain Plan to enhance cooperation among academia, patient groups, industry and policymakers through expert groups and strategic dialogues.

Hosted by Vytenis Andriukaitis, a Member of the European Parliament from Lithuania, this year’s conference brought together EU lawmakers including Tomislav Sokol of Croatia to discuss practical steps for improving patient access to innovative essential tremor treatments across Europe.

Speakers emphasized the need to move beyond fragmented access so patients in all EU member states can benefit from innovative therapies, including incisionless focused ultrasound procedures guided by MRI. Maarit Matjussi, President of the Essential Tremor Europe Association reinforced the patient perspective and the urgency for pan-European action.

“For too long, essential tremor has been overlooked compared with other neurological conditions, leaving patients isolated and underserved,” Matjussi said. “By working together with policymakers and innovators, we can ensure that no patient is left behind simply because of where they live.”

The session concluded with a shared commitment to continue collaboration toward a unified EU framework for brain health, building on last year’s Joint Declaration and amplifying patient voices across the region.

This year’s conference also followed growing international awareness around essential tremor, including the story of Lord Julian Fellowes, the Oscar-winning creator of Downton Abbey. Fellowes recently spoke publicly about undergoing Insightec’s incisionless MR-guided focused ultrasound procedure to treat his essential tremor. His personal experience, featured in People Magazine and this YouTube Video, highlighted the life-changing potential of the treatment for people living with the condition.

Insightec Chairman and CEO Maurice R. Ferré, MD, reflected on the company’s goal of turning dialogue into action.

“Hearing directly from patients and policymakers helps ensure that innovation leads to tangible impact,” Ferré said. “At Insightec, we remain committed to working with European institutions and the medical community to make transformative, incisionless focused ultrasound accessible to everyone who can benefit from the treatment.”

About Insightec

Insightec is a global healthcare company creating the next generation of patient care by realizing the therapeutic power of acoustic energy. The company’s Exablate Neuro platform focuses sound waves, safely guided by MRI, to provide treatment to patients with medication-refractory essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease*. Research for future applications in the neuroscience space is underway in partnership with leading academic and medical institutions. Insightec is headquartered in Haifa, Israel, and Miami, with offices in Dallas, Texas; Frankfurt, Germany; Shanghai; and Tokyo.

Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X or visit www.insightec.com for more information. For detailed country specific indications visit https://insightec.com/regulatory-approvals/.

1. Welton, T., Cardoso, F., Carr, J.A. et al. Essential tremor. Nat Rev Dis Primers 7, 83 (2021). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41572-021-00314-w
2. Jain S, Lo SE, Louis ED. Common misdiagnosis of a common neurological disorder: how are we misdiagnosing essential tremor?. Arch Neurol. 2006;63(8):1100-1104. doi:10.1001/archneur.63.8.1100

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Insightec Media Contact:
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Email: christopher.cardona@eurosagency.eu

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