Novel anticonvulsant drugs targeting voltage-dependent ion channels

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders with a prevalence of 0.5 – 1%. About two-thirds of epilepsy patients respond well to anticonvulsant pharmacotherapy and become seizure free. There is a third who remain pharmacoresistant, demonstrating the pressing need for novel treatment options that could be drugs with a different mechanism of action compared with those that are currently in clinical use. During the past, many new substances have been screened for blocking or activating effects on specific ion channels, particularly those that are not targets for currently used antiepileptic drugs. This review provides an overview of new anticonvulsant compounds targeting voltage-dependent ion channels.