Rufinamide

Abstract

Rufinamide, a triazole derivative, reduces the recovery capacity of neuronal sodium channels after inactivation, limiting neuronal sodium-dependent action potential firing and mediating anticonvulsant effects. In children, adolescents and adults, adjunctive oral rufinamide was more effective than placebo in treating seizures associated with treatment-resistant Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in a well designed 16-week trial. Rufinamide recipients experienced significantly greater reductions from baseline than placebo recipients in the median frequency of total seizures and tonic-atonic seizures per 28 days and demonstrated improvements in seizure severity. Furthermore, these beneficial effects of rufinamide on seizure frequency were maintained throughout a subsequent 3-year, open-label extension study. Relative to placebo, adjunctive rufinamide significantly reduced the frequency of partial seizures per 28 days in adult patients with inadequately controlled partial seizures in two well designed trials of approximate, equals3 months duration, with a higher proportion of rufinamide recipients achieving a reduction of >or=50% in partial seizure frequency per 28 days. Rufinamide was generally well tolerated in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and in those with partial seizures, with adverse events being mostly mild or moderate in severity.