PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 480 - 18 Jun 2005

Adjunctive topiramate succeedswhere others fail in epilepsy

Adjunctive topiramate improves QOL in patients withrefractory epilepsy, according to results from an open-label observational study.

This study included 125 such patients who initiatedadjunctive therapy with clobazam (n = 20), gabapentin(17), lamotrigine (26), topiramate (47) or vigabatrin, andwere followed up for 6 months. Researchers assessedQOL using the patients’ self-administered EQ-5D*

health status questionnaire.**

Significant improvements observedIn patients who received topiramate, a significant

improvement from baseline was observed in EQ-5Dscores at 6 months (+0.0692; p < 0.05). Anonsignificant improvement from baseline was noted invigabatrin recipients (+0.0094). In contrast, adjunctivetherapy with clobazam, gabapentin and lamotrigine wasassociated with a nonsignificant decline in EQ-5D scores(–0.0150, –0.0606 and –0.0473, respectively).

Seizure-freedom still the "ultimate aim"Of importance, only patients who became seizure-

free during the study had an improvement from baselinein their EQ-5D score, and the researchers suggest that"seizure-freedom should still be the ultimate aim oftherapy, since patients who achieved seizure freedomhad a better health status than patients who achievedonly a partial response".* EuroQol** One of the researchers was affiliated with Janssen-Cilag, UK.

Selai CE, et al. Evaluation of health status in epilepsy using the EQ-5Dquestionnaire: a prospective, observational, 6-month study of adjunctive therapywith anti-epileptic drugs. Current Medical Research and Opinion 21: 733-739, No.5, May 2005 801011670

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PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 18 Jun 2005 No. 4801173-5503/10/0480-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved