To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: DG DISPATCH - AAN: Zonisamide effective for partial or generalized epilepsy URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/1D02F6.htm Doctor's Guide May 4, 2000
By Richard Robinson Special to DG News
SAN DIEGO, CA -- May 4, 2000 -- Zonisamide monotherapy is effective for both partial and generalized epilepsy, according to a study presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, held here May 3, 2000.
Zonisamide is a sulfonamide drug unrelated to other current antiepileptics. Recently approved in the United States, zonisamide has been used in Japan since 1989. Kazuichi Yagi, MD, and colleagues of the University of Cincinnati in Ohio reported on post-marketing data from their study, titled, "Efficacy of zonisamide monotherapy."
The researchers treated 726 newly-diagnosed patients in Japan for a mean of 11 months with a mean dose of 249 mg/day in adults and 5.5 mg/kg/day in children.
Seizure control, defined as attaining a 50 percent or greater reduction in seizures compared to baseline, was obtained in 79 percent of 99 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, 84 percent of 243 patients with nontemporal lobe epilepsy, and 88 percent of 17 patients with unclassified partial epilepsy. In the 367 patients with generalized seizures, zonisamide was effective in approximately two-thirds of patients.
"The Japanese data show that zonisamide consistently reduces seizure frequency by more than 50 percent," Dr. Yagi said, noting the data supports its use for both partial and generalized epilepsy. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.