Review on Clinical Development of Drugs for Epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy is still unmanageable in about a third of patients despite the licensed antiepileptic medications (AEDs) having increased exponentially over the previous 25 years. Antiepileptic medications that are now on the market have a limited efficacy, which restricts their use and makes patient treatment challenging. Antiepileptic medications can only treat symptoms since they reduce seizures but cannot reverse epileptogenesis. Antiepileptic medications shouldn't be taken for an extended period of time because to their negative side effects, withdrawal effects, harmful drug combinations, and financial load, especially in developing nations. Additionally, some antiepileptic medications may even intensify some types of seizures. The most recent significant relatively wide AEDs that are helpful for people who experience both various types of seizures and mostly widespread seizures include lamotrigine, topiramate, and zonisamide. In 2008, the FDA granted rufinamide approval for the adjunctive treatment of Lennox Gastaut syndrome-related seizures in patients 4 years of age and older. In 2009, the European Union certified eslicarbazepine acetate as an adjuvant treatment for partial seizures in adults. It has a similar potency to carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine in inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters that are dependent on sodium channels. Ezogabine is the first AED to targeted and activate the voltage-gated potassium channel (also known as retigabine in Europe) (Kv7). The first glutamate receptor blocker to receive approval was Perampanel, which was first made available in Europe in July 2012. The FDA granted vigabatrin approval in 2009 for the treatment of juvenile contractions in children. In Australia, clobazam was initially authorized in 1970; it had been used for many years in Europe. Lennox Gastaut syndrome supplemental therapies in patients 2 years of age and older was given FDA approval in 2011.