Lacosamide (Vimpat^®) – a Novel Agent for Add-on Treatment of Focal Epilepsies

Czech version

Authors: Doc. MUDr. Jiří Hovorka, CSc.
Authors‘ workplace: Neurologické oddělení, neuropsychiatrické a epileptologické centrum, Nemocnice Na Františku, Praha ¹
Published in: Cesk Slov Neurol N 2011; 74/107(1): 88-95
Category: Treatment News

Overview

Lacosamide is a new anti-epileptic drug approved in the USA and Europe as adjunctive (add-on) therapy for focal (partial onset) epilepsy in adult patients. Lacosamide has a novel mechanism of action and an excellent pharmacokinetic profile with no clinically relevant drug-drug interactions. The efficacy of lacosamide has been shown in animal models and clinical trials in highly refractory focal epilepsy. Lacosamide is well tolerated. The most common adverse events in recommended doses (up to 400 mg/day) were dizziness, headache and nausea. In this paper, we present a drug profile of lacosamide.

Key words:
epilepsy – treatment of epilepsy – antiepileptic drugs – lacosamide

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