New antiepileptic drugs already registered.

Vigabatrin, lamotrigine, and oxcarbazepine are three of the many new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) already registered in several countries that highlight some of the typical problems and prejudices of new AEDs. Both the therapeutic action and the side-effect profiles of new AEDs are only basically known with marketing. For all three of these new AEDs, antiepileptic effects have been demonstrated beyond doubt, but they still must withstand the test of clinical usefulness in substantial patient numbers. All three have some effect on focal seizures, but their clinical spectrum probably will turn out to be by no means uniform. These three AEDs are, in general, well tolerated, but it would be premature to compare their safety with traditional AEDs as one must be prepared for rare or delayed untoward effects that may be discovered later, as occurred with some older AEDs.