Cenobamate in the management of focal-onset epilepsy in adults – practical considerations for daily practice
Article Category: Review paper
Published Online: Nov 24, 2023
Page range: 11 - 19
Received: Oct 19, 2023
Accepted: Nov 10, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/joepi-2023-0002
Keywords
© 2023 Beata Majkowska-Zwolińska, published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.
Introduction
Cenobamate (CNB) is a newly approved antiseizure medication in Europe. It is used as an add-on treatment for focal-onset seizures in adult patients with epilepsy that is not responding to other medications.
Aim
This report discusses the practical aspects of using cenobamate to treat adult patients with epilepsy based on current experiences.
Discussion and conclusions
Studies have shown that cenobamate is effective in reducing seizure frequency in adult patients with drug-resistant focal onset epilepsy when used as add-on therapy. It also has a high seizure freedom rate, a good treatment retention rate, and a favorable safety profile. The aspects discussed include using cenobamate in special populations and potential interactions with other drugs, management strategies to mitigate the risk of adverse reactions illustrated by a specific clinical case. Further studies involving larger patient groups are necessary to assess the drug’s efficacy and safety profile, particularly in special populations and patients with other types of epileptic seizures.