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Antiepileptic drug

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What Clinical Observations On The Epidemiology Of Antiepileptic Drug Intractability Tell Us About The Mechanisms Of Pharmacoresistance, Michael Rogawski Aug 2008

What Clinical Observations On The Epidemiology Of Antiepileptic Drug Intractability Tell Us About The Mechanisms Of Pharmacoresistance, Michael Rogawski

Michael A. Rogawski

In the past several years, there have been important advances in the clinical epidemiology of antiepileptic drug resistance, as reviewed by Mohanraj and Brodie. It would appear that by and large, intractability is independent of the choice of antiepileptic drug (AED). Many patients will become seizure free on the first agent tried, irrespective of which one their physician decides to pick. Nonresponders to the first drug are in a different category: it is likely that they will continue to have seizures no matter which medicine or combination of medicines is tried. This simple clinical observation puts important constraints on the …


Brivaracetam: A Rational Drug Discovery Success Story, Michael Rogawski Jan 2008

Brivaracetam: A Rational Drug Discovery Success Story, Michael Rogawski

Michael A. Rogawski

Levetiracetam, the alpha-ethyl analogue of the nootropic piracetam, is a widely used antiepileptic drug (AED) that provides protection against partial seizures and is also effective in the treatment of primary generalized seizure syndromes including juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Levetiracetam was discovered in 1992 through screening in audiogenic seizure susceptible mice and, 3 years later, was reported to exhibit saturable, stereospecific binding in brain to a approximately 90 kDa protein, later identified as the ubiquitous synaptic vesicle glycoprotein SV2A. A large-scale screening effort to optimize binding affinity identified the 4-n-propyl analogue, brivaracetam, as having greater potency and a broadened spectrum of activity …


Diverse Mechanisms Of Antiepileptic Drugs In The Development Pipeline, Michael A. Rogawski Jun 2006

Diverse Mechanisms Of Antiepileptic Drugs In The Development Pipeline, Michael A. Rogawski

Michael A. Rogawski

There is a remarkable array of new chemical entities in the current antiepileptic drug (AED) development pipeline. In some cases, the compounds were synthesized in an attempt improve upon the activity of marketed AEDs. In other cases, the discovery of antiepileptic potential was largely serendipitous. Entry into the pipeline begins with the demonstration of activity in one or more animal screening models. Results from testing in a panel of such models provide a basis to differentiate agents and may offer clues as to the mechanism. Target activity may then be defined through cell-based studies, often years after the initial identification …