Sustained Efficacy Of Vimpat (Lacosamide) In Reducing Partial Onset Of Seizures For Up To Eight Years

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Main Category: Epilepsy
Article Date: 01 Sep 2011 - 6:00 PDT


The 29th International Epilepsy Congress in Rome, Italy (28th August-1st September) 1-4 presented consistent evidence this week, that a combined treatment with Vimpat® (lacosamide) has generally been well tolerated and linked to a sustained reduction in partial onset seizures for up to 8 years. Lacosamide, launched in the E.U. in September 2008, was developed as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial onset seizures with or without secondary generalization in patients with epilepsy, aged 16 years and older. When oral administration is temporarily not feasible, Lacosamide solution for infusion may be administered.

According to Dr Robert F. Leroy, Neurological Clinic of Texas in Dallas, Texas, USA:

"These data showed that the seizure control and tolerability seen with lacosamide in pivotal phase III clinical trials were maintained during open label long term studies, and they provide additional clinical data to neurologists searching for long term solutions for adult patients with poorly controlled partial onset seizures."

An announcement made at the congress revealed, that a further study of VITOBA™ (VIpatT added to One Baseline AED) will determine whether lacosamide has additive or synergistic effects when added to single agent AED treatment for partial onset seizures in a real life clinical setting5.

The research will be a prospective, non-interventional study with analysis of data after six months, conducted on 500 evaluable patients with partial onset seizures to provide comparative insights into the effects of adding lacosamide to a single "sodium channel" or "non-sodium channel" AED.

Vimpat® tablets and injection for intravenous use were launched in May 2009 in the U.S. as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial onset seizures in patients with epilepsy aged 17 years and older. As a short-term replacement when oral administration is not feasible, Lacosamide injection may be used. Lacosamide oral solution was launched in June 2010.

The maximum recommended daily dose for Vimpat® in the European Union and the US is 400 mg/day.

Written by Petra Rattue


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