Markos
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 Posted: 04/11/07 - 06:09 Post subject: New Epilepsy Drug Helps Reduce Seizure Frequency |
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Retigabine is a new epilepsy drug that works by opening potassium channel, a new method of action that has been found to be safe and effective. It is developed for people with partial-onset seizures who did not manage to fully control their seizures with other drugs.
The drug study involved 399 patients who were divided into four groups: three groups received different doses of retigabine and one group received a placebo. The study lasted 16 weeks.
At the beginning of the study, all participants were having an average of eight to ten seizures a month and were also taking one to two other epilepsy drugs.
At the end of the study, those patients who took the highest dose of retigabine had an average of 35% fewer seizures during the study, compared to 13% of patients who took the placebo. Thirtythree percent of the patients who took the highest dose of the drug had a 50% or greater reduction in seizure frequency.
The side effects the patients experienced were drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, tremor, amnesia, and speech disorders. |
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