The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved Banzel (generically known as rufinamide) for use in the treatment of epilepsy due to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS).
Banzel is produced by the Eisai Corporation, a New Jersey-based pharmaceutical manufacturer. Currently, Eisai is known for producing Aricept, an Alzheimer’s medication, and Zonegran, a drug prescribed to treat milder cases of epilepsy.
What is LGS?
LGS is a severe type of epilepsy that typically arises before children are 4 years old. In addition to being developmentally delayed, those with LGS regularly experience various types of seizures. About 1 to 4 percent of children suffering from epilepsy have LGS.
There are four different types of seizures that LGS patients usually experience:
• Aatonic seizures, which are marked by unconsciousness and a loss of muscle tension. Atonic seizures will cause people to immediately fall to the ground.
• Atypical absence seizures, in which affected individuals will experience staring spells
• Myoclonic seizures, which cause sudden, involuntary muscle jerk
• Tonic seizures, characterized by a stiffening of the muscles, dilated pupils and irregular breathing.
Evidence of Banzel’s Effectiveness
Banzel was FDA-approved following the results of a double-blind study. This research found that Banzel could reduce the incidence of atonic seizures in LGS patients.
Unlike the other types of seizures these patients experience, atonic seizures cause immediate falls, which are usually the leading cause of injury for LGS patients.
In their analysis, researchers found that patients taking Banzel were 42 percent less likely to experience atonic seizures, fall and injure themselves. Study participants taking placebos had a 1.4 percent increased chance of experiencing atonic seizures.
What Banzel Promises
In addition to effectively reducing the incidence of dangerous seizures in LGS patients, Banzel is also noteworthy because it is safe to prescribe to anyone over 12 years old.
Prescribing antiepileptic medication to children and teens is a problematic issue facing the medical community. Although such drugs can help treat epilepsy, they can also cause developmental problems and behavioral disorders.
Eisai is expected to release Banzel for distribution in January 2009.
(Source: Drugs.com)
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