Levetiracetam
Levetiracetam (pronounced: lee ve tye ra' se tam MedMaster) is a medication used for treating epilepsy and seizures.
History
Levetiracetam was approved by the United States of America Food and Drug Administration November 30, 1999 for the use of "adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial onset seizures in adults with epilepsy."[1]
Levetiracetam was not included in the SANAD randomized controlled trial which started randomizing patients on Dec 1, 1999.[2][3][4]
Brands
Keppra®
Effectiveness
Effectiveness is similar to carbamazepine while drug toxicity is lower than carbamazepine in a randomized controlled trial.[5]
Indications
United States
Indications according to the United States of America Food and Drug Administration are:[1]
- adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial onset seizures in adults and children 4 years of age and older with epilepsy.
- adjunctive therapy in the treatment of myoclonic seizures in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.
- adjunctive therapy in the treatment of primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in adults and children 6 years of age and older with idiopathic generalized epilepsy.
European Medicines Agency
According to the European Medicines Agency, indications are:[6]
- Keppra is used alone in the treatment of partial seizures in patients from 16 years of age.
- Keppra is used in patients who are already taking another antiepileptic medicine
- in the treatment of partial seizures in adults and children from 4 years age
- in the treatment of myoclonic seizures in patients from 12 years of age with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.
- in the treatment of primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures in adults and adolescents from 12 years of age
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Anonymous (1999). Drugs@FDA. Food and Drug Administration.
- ↑ Marson AG, Al-Kharusi AM, Alwaidh M, et al (2007). "The SANAD study of effectiveness of valproate, lamotrigine, or topiramate for generalised and unclassifiable epilepsy: an unblinded randomised controlled trial". Lancet 369 (9566): 1016–26. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60461-9. PMID 17382828. Research Blogging. ACP Journal Club summary
- ↑ Marson AG, Appleton R, Baker GA, et al (2007). "A randomised controlled trial examining the longer-term outcomes of standard versus new antiepileptic drugs. The SANAD trial". Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) 11 (37): 1–154. PMID 17903391. [e]
- ↑ Marson AG, Al-Kharusi AM, Alwaidh M, et al (March 2007). "The SANAD study of effectiveness of carbamazepine, gabapentin, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, or topiramate for treatment of partial epilepsy: an unblinded randomised controlled trial". Lancet 369 (9566): 1000–15. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60460-7. PMID 17382827. PMC 2080688. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Brodie MJ, Perucca E, Ryvlin P, Ben-Menachem E, Meencke HJ (February 2007). "Comparison of levetiracetam and controlled-release carbamazepine in newly diagnosed epilepsy". Neurology 68 (6): 402–8. DOI:10.1212/01.wnl.0000252941.50833.4a. PMID 17283312. Research Blogging.
External links
The most up-to-date information about Levetiracetam and other drugs can be found at the following sites.
- Levetiracetam - FDA approved drug information (drug label) from DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine).
- Levetiracetam - Drug information for consumers from MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine).
- Levetiracetam - Detailed information from DrugBank.