New Drug Shows Promise For Treating Neuropathic Pain, Epileptic Seizures and Bip

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New Drug Shows Promise For Treating Epileptic Seizures, Bipolar

Disorder And Neuropathic Pain

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=67398

A new study appearing in the latest issue of Epilepsia shows that a

new drug called Eslicarbazepine (ESL) shows promise as a treatment

for epilepsy patients whose symptoms remain uncontrolled with

existing medications. A once-daily dose was shown to be most

effective, offering patients added convenience as current treatments

can involve several doses per day.

The trial was conducted across 19 locations in five European

countries: Croatia, The Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania and

Poland. Patients with at least four partial-onset seizures per

month, in spite of treatment with other medications, were

administered ESL doses ranging between 400mg and 1,200mg. The study

demonstrates that ESL is well tolerated and effective when used as

adjunct therapy for adult patients with partial epilepsy, fully

eliminating seizures in 24 percent of tested patients. The

occurrence of side effects was also low compared to other current

treatment methods.

No age- or gender-related differences were found in the

effectiveness of the treatment. " Our study shows that ESL was safe

and well tolerated, " says Patrício Soares-da-Silva, co-author of the

study. " We believe that ESL may have the potential to become an

important new central nervous system drug not only for the treatment

of epilepsy, but also for patients suffering from bipolar disorder

and neuropathic pain. "