Clinical efficacy and safety of gabapentin.

The challenges of treating patients with partial seizures soon will be met, in part, by a number of new additions (felbamate, gabapentin, lamotrigine) to existing treatment options. Gabapentin, has shown significant promise in the treatment of patients with refractory partial seizures and secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Three large, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trials have established its efficacy and safety as add-on therapy in patients with refractory partial seizures. Gabapentin is well tolerated. Although adverse events occur in most patients receiving gabapentin as adjunctive therapy, they are transient and mild to moderate in severity. To date, serious adverse events have been rare. Long-term safety data are needed. The lack of drug interaction potential between gabapentin and traditional antiepileptic drugs also was confirmed in clinical trials.