Late-stage data unveiled at the International Epilepsy Congress in Istanbul have backed the efficacy of Eisai’s Fycompa in reducing the frequency of seizures in patients with primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures and partial epilepsy.
For patients with PGTC seizures, an up-titration of Fycompa (perampanel) over four weeks may cut the number of PGTC seizures experienced by 62.3% versus placebo (31.7%), and higher exposure to the drug was linked with a greater probability of response, the firm said.
In a second study looking at patients with partial-onset seizures, Fycompa boosted response and retention rates when used as an adjunctive treatment. Interim findings show that at six months the retention rate was high at 79.4%, 8.6% of patients were seizure-free, and 32.9% responded to therapy.
Fycompa is the only anti-epileptic on the market that selectively targets AMPA receptors, known to play a key part in the spread of seizures.
“These results illustrate that perampanel’s novel mechanism of action yields an excellent response in terms of seizure frequency, when used adjunctively with existing anti-seizure therapies, across the most common seizure types,” noted Eugen Trinka, chair of the Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg.
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions in the world, affecting around 6 million people in Europe, and 50 million around the globe.
Fycopma is currently indicated as an adjunctive treatment for partial onset seizures, with or without secondarily generalised seizures, in patients with epilepsy aged 12 years and older, and for primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures, in patients with idiopathic generalised epilepsy.
