Introduction
Even though antiepileptic drugs have made a significant impact in the treatment epilepsy over the last three decades, about 30% of adults and 25% of children with epilepsy still have inadequate seizure control.1,2 Among those patients with intractable epilepsy a very high proportion suffer from partial seizures. The second generation of antiepileptic drugs, first introduced in the early 1990s, has been a welcome addition to the therapeutic armamentarium for the treatment epilepsy. For the most part, these drugs have demonstrated better tolerability and a more favorable pharmacokinetic profile than the “classic” ones, making their use much simpler for the practicing physician. Unfortunately, as far comparative efficacy is concerned, these drugs have been rather disappointing, with an overall efficacy very similar to that of the older agents. Therefore, there is still a great need for better, more effective antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of epilepsy.
Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a novel anti- epileptic drug with a spectrum of action essentially limited to partial-onset and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. This paper will review in some detail the pivotal clinical trials that have established the effi- cacy and tolerability of ESL as adjunctive therapy in patients with partial-onset epilepsy, while providing a more succinct summary of its chemistry, mechanism of action and clinical pharmacokinetics.
Introduction
Even though antiepileptic drugs have made a significant impact in the treatment epilepsy over the last three decades, about 30% of adults and 25% of children with epilepsy still have inadequate seizure control.1,2 Among those patients with intractable epilepsy a very high proportion suffer from partial seizures. The second generation of antiepileptic drugs, first introduced in the early 1990s, has been a welcome addition to the therapeutic armamentarium for the treatment epilepsy. For the most part, these drugs have demonstrated better tolerability and a more favorable pharmacokinetic profile than the “classic” ones, making their use much simpler for the practicing physician. Unfortunately, as far comparative efficacy is concerned, these drugs have been rather disappointing, with an overall efficacy very similar to that of the older agents. Therefore, there is still a great need for better, more effective antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of epilepsy.
Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a novel anti- epileptic drug with a spectrum of action essentially limited to partial-onset and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. This paper will review in some detail the pivotal clinical trials that have established the effi- cacy and tolerability of ESL as adjunctive therapy in patients with partial-onset epilepsy, while providing a more succinct summary of its chemistry, mechanism of action and clinical pharmacokinetics.
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