Daten zum aktuellen Praxiseinsatz von Eslicarbazepinacetat in Deutschland

Background

The anticonvulsant eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is licensed as adjunctive therapy for adults with partial-onset seizures (POS).

Objectives

To gather information on the use of ESL in current clinical practice in Germany and to assess its efficacy and tolerability.

Methods

Clinical data from consecutive patients with POS who started adjunctive treatment with ESL after 1 January 2012 was retrospectively collected from 18 neurological centres in Germany. Data on utilisation, efficacy, and tolerability of ESL were documented on a standardised electronic documentation sheet.

Results

Included in the analysis were 125 patients (median age: 48 years (range 20–83 years), 59.2?% male). The most common primary treatment goals were improvement of seizure control (70.4?% of patients) and improvement of tolerability (20.8?%). A median dose of 800 mg (range 400–2,400 mg) was both the initial target and last treatment dose. The responder rate, defined as proportion of patients achieving a reduction in seizure frequency by ≥50?% versus baseline, was 46.7?%, 53.3?%, and 55.3?% after 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. At the last documented visit, 38.8?% of patients were seizure-free for ≥3 months. The last documented visit occurred after a mean treatment period of 397 ± 246 days. The physician’s rating of ESL efficacy was very good or good in 61.6?% of treated patients, while tolerability was rated very good or good in 70.4?% of patients. Due to adverse events (AEs), 12.0?% of patients discontinued treatment with ESL. More frequently (≥5?%) reported AEs were fatigue, dizziness, and hyponatremia. Overall, 77?% of patients continued ESL therapy for at least 12 months.

Conclusions

In this retrospective collection of current real-life data in Germany, adjunctive anticonvulsant treatment with ESL was effective and well-tolerated.