Abstract
Vigabatrin (Sabril®) has recently been granted approval in the Unites States for the adjunctive treatment of complex-partial seizures in adults. The drug was first evaluated as a potential therapy for this population decades ago, and it has been available in other parts of the world for some time. Well controlled studies demonstrate that at doses up to 3 g/day, the drug is efficacious as add-on therapy for treatment resistant seizures. However, vigabatrin has been associated with significant side-effects limiting its use, and relegating it to a late therapeutic alternative. Specifically, vigabatrin has been implicated in the development of irreversible peripheral vision loss in a significant number of patients. For this reason, the approval of the drug in the United States was contingent upon the introduction of a rigorous monitoring protocol that must accompany its use. Additionally, the drug has been associated with a relatively high incidence of psychiatric disturbances, although there is disagreement about a direct correlation of these symptoms to the drug. Still, the drug remains a viable alternative for patients who have failed therapy with traditional anti-seizure medications.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 849-856 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Clinical Medicine Insights: Therapeutics |
| Volume | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2010 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Medicine(all)
- Pharmaceutical Science
- Pharmacology
Cite this
Vigabatrin in refractory complex partial seizures : The evidence of its therapeutic value. / Faulkner, Michele A.; Tolman, Justin.
In: Clinical Medicine Insights: Therapeutics, Vol. 2, 2010, p. 849-856.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Vigabatrin in refractory complex partial seizures
T2 - The evidence of its therapeutic value
AU - Faulkner, Michele A.
AU - Tolman, Justin
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Vigabatrin (Sabril®) has recently been granted approval in the Unites States for the adjunctive treatment of complex-partial seizures in adults. The drug was first evaluated as a potential therapy for this population decades ago, and it has been available in other parts of the world for some time. Well controlled studies demonstrate that at doses up to 3 g/day, the drug is efficacious as add-on therapy for treatment resistant seizures. However, vigabatrin has been associated with significant side-effects limiting its use, and relegating it to a late therapeutic alternative. Specifically, vigabatrin has been implicated in the development of irreversible peripheral vision loss in a significant number of patients. For this reason, the approval of the drug in the United States was contingent upon the introduction of a rigorous monitoring protocol that must accompany its use. Additionally, the drug has been associated with a relatively high incidence of psychiatric disturbances, although there is disagreement about a direct correlation of these symptoms to the drug. Still, the drug remains a viable alternative for patients who have failed therapy with traditional anti-seizure medications.
AB - Vigabatrin (Sabril®) has recently been granted approval in the Unites States for the adjunctive treatment of complex-partial seizures in adults. The drug was first evaluated as a potential therapy for this population decades ago, and it has been available in other parts of the world for some time. Well controlled studies demonstrate that at doses up to 3 g/day, the drug is efficacious as add-on therapy for treatment resistant seizures. However, vigabatrin has been associated with significant side-effects limiting its use, and relegating it to a late therapeutic alternative. Specifically, vigabatrin has been implicated in the development of irreversible peripheral vision loss in a significant number of patients. For this reason, the approval of the drug in the United States was contingent upon the introduction of a rigorous monitoring protocol that must accompany its use. Additionally, the drug has been associated with a relatively high incidence of psychiatric disturbances, although there is disagreement about a direct correlation of these symptoms to the drug. Still, the drug remains a viable alternative for patients who have failed therapy with traditional anti-seizure medications.
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U2 - 10.4137/CMT.S3788
DO - 10.4137/CMT.S3788
M3 - Review article
VL - 2
SP - 849
EP - 856
JO - Clinical Medicine Insights: Therapeutics
JF - Clinical Medicine Insights: Therapeutics
SN - 1179-559X
ER -