Blood levels of progabide and its active metabolite in epileptic patients: relationships to the therapeutic outcome.
To assess the relationships between the efficacy and blood levels of progabide (PGB) and its active acidic metabolite (PGA) in epileptics, observations were carried out on 89 adult patients with epilepsy of different types and severity in two groups at Paris and Genoa. The Paris group received progabide in addition to other antiepileptic drugs for 6 to 12 months, whereas the Genoa group received a polytherapy for the first two months then a monotherapy with progabide alone for up to 22 months. Blood levels from monthly or bimonthly samples were significantly higher in both surveys when there was a satisfactory therapeutic response and levels were also higher in those receiving monotherapy suggesting a synergism among antiepileptic drugs. It is concluded that therapeutic drug monitoring of PGB and PGA blood concentrations may be a useful technique in optimizing progabide treatment in epileptic patients.
Benassi
E
E
Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Genoa, Italy.
Morselli
P L
PL
Besio
G
G
Bianchetti
G
G
Loeb
C
C
D000328:Adult; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use
C017985:progabide; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; C017984:progabide acid