Article

A 24-week multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, dose-ranging study of rufinamide in adults and adolescents with inadequately controlled partial seizures.

Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany.
Epilepsy research (impact factor: 2.48). 02/2010; 88(2-3):255-63. DOI:10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2009.12.003 pp.255-63
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT To assess the efficacy, safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of adjunctive rufinamide in adults and adolescents with inadequately controlled partial seizures receiving treatment with one to three concomitant antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).
A 24-week multicenter Phase II clinical study was conducted (n=647), comprising a 12-week prospective baseline phase and a 12-week randomized double-blind, parallel-group, five-arm (placebo and rufinamide 200, 400, 800, and 1600mg/day) treatment phase.
The linear trend of dose response for seizure frequency per 28 days in the double-blind treatment phase - the primary efficacy outcome measure - was statistically significant in favor of rufinamide (estimated slope=-0.049, P=0.003; minimally efficacious dose, 400mg/day). Response rates, defined as a >or=50% reduction in seizure frequency per 28 days, also revealed a significant linear trend of dose response (P=0.0019, logistic regression analysis). Adverse events were comparable between placebo and all rufinamide groups except the 1600mg/day group; no safety signals were observed.
These results suggest that in the dose range of 400-1600mg/day, add-on rufinamide therapy may benefit patients with inadequately controlled partial seizures and is generally well tolerated. These data also suggest that higher doses may confer additional efficacy without adversely affecting safety and tolerability.

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    Article: Update on rufinamide in childhood epilepsy.
    Giangennaro Coppola
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    ABSTRACT: Rufinamide is an orally active, structurally novel compound (1-[(2,6-difluorophenil1) methyl1]-1 hydro 1,2,3-triazole-4 carboxamide), which is structurally distinct from other anticonvulsant drugs. It was granted orphan drug status for the adjunctive treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) in the United States in 2004, and released for use in Europe in 2007. In January 2009, rufinamide was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treatment of LGS in children 4 years of age and older. It is also approved for adjunctive treatment for partial seizures in adults and adolescents. Rufinamide's efficacy mainly against atonic/tonic seizures in patients with LGS seems nowadays indubitable and has been confirmed both in randomized controlled trial and in open label extension studies. More recently, rufinamide was evaluated for the adjunctive treatment of childhood-onset epileptic encephalopathies and epileptic syndromes other than LGS, including epileptic spasms, multifocal epileptic encephalopathy with spasm/tonic seizures, myoclonic-astatic epilepsy, Dravet syndrome and malignant migrating partial seizures in infancy. This review updates the existing literature data on the efficacy and safety/tolerability of rufinamide in childhood-onset epilepsy syndromes.
    Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 01/2011; 7:399-407. · 1.81 Impact Factor
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    Article: Rufinamide for refractory focal seizures: An open-label, multicenter European study.
    Giangennaro Coppola, Nelia Zamponi, Gerhard Kluger, Arndt Mueller, Mazzotta Anna Rita, Pasquale Parisi, Claudia Isone, Elena Santoro, Paolo Curatolo, Alberto Verrotti
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    ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: The present study aimed to assess the efficacy and tolerability of rufinamide as adjunctive drug for the treatment of a large series of children, adolescents and adults with refractory cryptogenic or symptomatic focal epilepsy. METHODS: Patients were recruited in a prospective, add-on, open-label treatment study from six Italian and one German centers for pediatric and adolescent epilepsy care. Inclusion criteria were: (1) age 3 years or more; (2) diagnosis of cryptogenic or symptomatic focal epilepsy refractory to at least three previous antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), alone or in combination; (3) more than one seizure per month in the last 6 months; (4) use of at least one other AED, but no more than three, at baseline; (5) informed consent from parents and/or caregivers. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients (40 males, 28 females), aged between 3 and 63 years (mean 19.9 years, median 16.0)±SD 12.58, with cryptogenic (28 pts, 41.2%) or symptomatic focal epilepsy (40 pts, 58.8%), were recruited in the study. After a mean follow-up period of 10.4±10.29 months, twenty-two patients (32.3%) had a 50-99% seizure reduction, and none became seizure-free. Twelve patients (17.6%) had a 25-49% seizure decrease, while in 30 (44.1%) seizure frequency was unchanged. A seizure worsening was reported in 5 patients (7.3%). A better response to rufinamide occurred in frontal lobe seizures (51.6%) and secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizures (50%). CONCLUSION: Rufinamide was effective against focal-onset seizures, particularly in the treatment of secondary generalized frontal lobe seizures.
    Seizure 10/2012; · 1.80 Impact Factor
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Keywords

12-week prospective baseline phase
 
12-week randomized double-blind
 
24-week multicenter Phase II clinical study
 
add-on rufinamide therapy
 
additional efficacy
 
adjunctive rufinamide
 
Adverse events
 
concomitant antiepileptic drugs
 
double-blind treatment phase
 
higher doses
 
linear trend
 
logistic regression analysis
 
partial seizures
 
primary efficacy outcome measure
 
Response rates
 
rufinamide
 
rufinamide 200
 
rufinamide groups
 
seizure frequency
 
significant linear trend