This is a survey of the efficacy of perampanel as an add-on therapy in children with Dravet syndrome. Perampanel (a.k.a. Fycompa) was first approved in 2012, and last year its use was extended to pediatric patients. The authors were able to gather data on 10 Dravet patients – their average age was 11.5 years, and the average duration of treatment was 11.1 months. All patients were using partner therapies, with the most common being valproic acid (ex. Depakote) and topiramate (ex. Topamax). Five of the ten patients exhibited a response defined as “effective seizure reduction” (namely, reduction in frequency by more than 50%). However, none became seizure free. Adverse effects were common, but generally mild, and the most frequent was lethargy. This work is consistent with previous reports, wherein perampanel reduced seizure frequency by more than 50% in six of nine patients with Dravet syndrome; although in these cases three of the patients did become seizure free. Despite the small sample sizes, these results indicate that perampanel shows promise as a treatment for Dravet syndrome.
Efficacy and tolerability of perampanel in pediatric patients with Dravet syndrome.
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