New research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research’s Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme suggests that a newer drug for treatment of partial epilepsy is clinically superior to the existing drug of first choice for the condition, while an older drug is better than new for treatment of generalised seizures. A ground breaking clinical trial involving more than 2,000 patients has compared newer drugs for epilepsy with carbamazepine and valproate, which have been widely accepted as the drugs of first choice for patients with partial onset and generalised seizures respectively for the last 20 years. Researchers found that a newer drug, lamotrigine, is clinically superior and is a cost-effective alternative to carbamazepine for the majority of patients diagnosed with partial seizures. However valproate remains the most clinically effective drug for patients with generalised epilepsy.>>> Discuss This Story
