New epilepsy drug launched
A new epilepsy treatment, Zonegran (zonisamide), will soon be launched by Eisai.
Zonegran is a benzisoxazole derivative with a sulphonamide group. It
has weak carbonic anhydrase activity in vitro and is chemically unrelated
to other anti-epileptic agents.
Its mechanism of action is not fully understood, but it appears to act
on voltage-sensitive sodium and calcium channels, disrupting synchronised
neuronal firing.
Animal studies suggest that it acts as a broad-spectrum anti-epileptic,
preventing maximal electroshock seizures, restricting seizure spread,
including the propagation of seizures from cortex to subcortical structures,
and suppressing epileptogenic focus activity. Unlike phenytoin and carbamazepine,
zonisamide acts preferentially on seizures originating in the cortex.
Notice-board p757 |
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