Levetiracetam now licensed in children
Levetiracetam (Keppra) is now licensed for the treatment of children
with epilepsy, following European approval last month.
It is indicated for adjunctive therapy in children aged four years and
over who are undergoing treatment for partial-onset seizures, with or
without secondary generalisation. The initial dose for children less
than 50kg is 10mg/kg twice daily.
Clinical data reported at the European Paediatric Neurology Society congress
in Gothenburg, Sweden, last month indicated that seizure frequency was
reduced significantly in 45 per cent of such children when treated with
levetiracetam for 14 weeks (compared with 19 per cent given placebo;
P=0.0002) — despite the fact that the children had been found to
be resistant to other antiepileptic drugs.
A report from the International Bureau for Epilepsy has revealed that,
although 70 per cent of people with epilepsy can be seizure-free with
appropriate medication, only about one-third of children currently achieve
this goal.
Notice-board p437 |
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