title: [Anticonvulsant add-on therapy with Eslicarbazepine acetate : Results of the EPOS-study in adults in Germany].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to inadequate seizure control achieved with antiepileptic drug (AED) monotherapy and the considerable side effects at high required doses, patients with partial-onset seizures (POS) often require AED combination therapy. Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is licensed as an add-on therapy for POS and has a favorable tolerability profile.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate retention, utilization, reported efficacy, safety and tolerability as well as effects on health-related quality of life using ESL as an add-on treatment to an established monotherapy in a real-world adult population with POS in Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  A subgroup analysis was performed on the data derived from the German study sites that had participated in an international, non-interventional, open-label study conducted in eight European countries (eslicarbazepine acetate in partial-onset seizures, EPOS). Adult patients with POS whose physician had decided to prescribe add-on treatment with ESL to an established monotherapy were followed over a total period of approximately six months (three visits: baseline and after periods of approximately three and six months). Data collection included patient retention, reported efficacy, safety and tolerability as well as quality of life (QOLIE-10).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The subgroup analysis included 104 patients which had been enrolled at 38 German study sites. After 6 months, retention of ESL add-on therapy was 86.5 %, with 44.7 % of patients reporting seizure freedom over the 3 months prior to this visit. The overall tolerability of ESL add-on therapy was favorable: 32 adverse events (AE) were reported in 20 patients (19.2 %), while only two events in two patients were considered serious. No new safety signals were detected.
authors.affiliation: Klinische und Experimentelle Epileptologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany. florian-philip.losch@charite.de.
authors.forename: F-P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Losch
authors.affiliation: Klinische und Experimentelle Epileptologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holtkamp
authors.affiliation: Eisai Europe Ltd, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McMurray
authors.affiliation: Eisai GmbH Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lendemans
authors.affiliation: Eisai GmbH Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kockelmann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015984:Causality; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D003984:Dibenzazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004244:Dizziness / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D061567:Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003984:Dibenzazepines; D061567:Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Blockers; C416835:eslicarbazepine acetate
keywords: Anticonvulsants; Convulsive seizures; Epilepsy; Eslicarbazepine acetate; Real-life conditions