title: EARLY-ESLI study: Long-term experience with eslicarbazepine acetate after first monotherapy failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate real-life experience with eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) after first monotherapy failure in a large series of patients with focal epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicentre, retrospective, 1-year, observational study in patients older than 18 years, with focal epilepsy, who had failed first antiepileptic drug monotherapy and who received ESL. Data from clinical records were analysed at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months to assess effectiveness and tolerability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eslicarbazepine acetate was initiated in 253 patients. The 1-year retention rate was 92.9%, and the final median dose of ESL was 800 mg. At 12 months, 62.3% of patients had been seizure free for 6 months; 37.3% had been seizure free for 1 year. During follow-up, 31.6% of the patients reported ESL-related adverse events (AEs), most commonly somnolence (8.7%) and dizziness (5.1%), and 3.6% discontinued due to AEs. Hyponatraemia was observed in seven patients (2.8%). After starting ESL, 137 patients (54.2%) withdrew the prior monotherapy and converted to ESL monotherapy; 75.9% were seizure free, 87.6% were responders, 4.4% worsened, and 23.4% reported ESL-related AEs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of ESL after first monotherapy failure was associated with an optimal seizure control and tolerability profile. Over half of patients were converted to ESL monotherapy during follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Villanueva
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Puerta Hierro, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bermejo
authors.affiliation: Hospital Lluis Alcanyis, Xátiva, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montoya
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toledo
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez-Ibáñez
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garcés
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vilella
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clinico Universitario, Santiago, Spain.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: López-González
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clinico Universitario, Santiago, Spain.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Osorio
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico Universitario, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Dr. Peset, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giner
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zurita
authors.affiliation: Clínica Sagrado Corazón, Instituto de Especialidades Neurológicas, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Uranga
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Infanta Sofía, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ojeda
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clinico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mauri
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clinico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Giménez
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Donosti, San Sebastian, Spain.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Poza
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañon, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Massot-Tarrús
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañon, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Galiano
authors.affiliation: Hospital Arnau de Vilanova, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003984:Dibenzazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004244:Dizziness / Q000209:etiology*; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014717:Vertigo / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003984:Dibenzazepines; C416835:eslicarbazepine acetate
keywords: epilepsy; focal seizures; partial seizures; real-life; retrospective; sodium channel