Levetiracetam offers hope for epilepsy

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

New drug looks promising for epilepsy, according to clinical trial.
Around a third of patients with epilepsy do not achieve sufficient control of their seizures through existing treatments, so there is a need for new approaches. Levetiracetam is a drug which has previously been used as an add-on to other therapies. But now researchers from the Western Infirmary Epilepsy Unit in Glasgow, Scotland, report upon its use on its own, in a trial comparing it with controlled-release carbamazepine among newly-diagnosed patients.

The study found that 73 per cent of those on levetiracetam and 72.8 per cent of those on carbamazepine remained free of seizures for at least six months. And the majority of participants were able to achieve seizure control using the lowest dose level of their drug. Fewer of those on levetiracetam withdrew from the trial - 14.4 per cent - than those on carbamazepine - 19.2 per cent. Therefore, it looks as if levetiracetam is a promising new treatment for people with epilepsy.

Source
Neurology 6th February 2007