title: Efficacy of rufinamide in drug-resistant epilepsy: a meta-analysis.
abstract: Rufinamide is a new orally active antiepileptic drug that has been found to be effective in the treatment of partial seizures and drop attacks associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. We performed a quantitative analysis of the efficacy of this new antiepileptic drug from all double-blind, add-on, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials published to date. Data from 918 patients were studied. The number of patients per study varied from 25 to 262. Rufinamide was efficacious in doses up to 45 mg/kg daily when provided as adjunctive therapy in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and other drug-resistant epilepsies. Further studies are needed to confirm and expand these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Unit of Medical Statistics, University G. D'Annunzio of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verrotti
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Loiacono
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ballone
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Mattei
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiarelli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Curatolo
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014230:Triazoles; C079703:rufinamide