title: A review of eslicarbazepine acetate for the adjunctive treatment of partial-onset epilepsy.
abstract: Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a novel antiepileptic drug indicated for the treatment of partial-onset seizures. Structurally, it belongs to the dibenzazepine family and is closely related to carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine. Its main mechanism of action is by blocking the voltage-gated sodium channel. ESL is a pro-drug that is rapidly metabolized almost exclusively into S-licarbazepine, the biologically active drug. It has a favorable pharmacokinetic and drug-drug interaction profile. However, it may induce the metabolism of oral contraceptives and should be used with caution in females of child-bearing age. In the pre-marketing placebo-controlled clinical trials ESL has proven effective as adjunctive therapy in adult patients with refractory of partial-onset seizures. Best results were observed on a single daily dose between 800 and 1200 mg. In general, ESL was well tolerated, with most common dose-related side effects including dizziness, somnolence, headache, nausea and vomiting. Hyponatremia has been observed (0.6%-1.3%), but the incidence appears to be lower than with the use of oxcarbazepine. There is very limited information on the use of ESL in children or as monotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois 60153, USA.
authors.forename: Rajinder P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Jorge J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Asconapé
keywords: dibenzazepine; epilepsy; eslicarbazepine; licarbazepine; partial-onset seizures; voltage-gated sodium channel