Back to Journals » Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management » Volume 8

Clinical utility of adjunctive retigabine in partial onset seizures in adults

Authors Rejdak, Luszczki, Blaszczyk, Chwedorowicz, Czuczwar S

Received 25 November 2011

Accepted for publication 15 December 2011

Published 20 January 2012 Volume 2012:8 Pages 7—14

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/TCRM.S22605

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Konrad Rejdak1, Jarogniew J Luszczki2,3, Barbara Blaszczyk4, Roman Chwedorowicz5, Stanislaw J Czuczwar2,5
1Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, 2Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, 3Isobolography Analysis Laboratory, Institute of Agricultural Medicine, Lublin, 4Faculty of Health Sciences, High School of Economics and Law, Kielce, 5Department of Physiopathology, Institute of Agricultural Medicine, Lublin, Poland

Abstract: In ~30% of epileptic patients, full seizure control is not possible, which is why the search for novel antiepileptic drugs continues. Retigabine exhibits a mechanism of action that is not shared by the available antiepileptic drugs. This antiepileptic enhances potassium currents via Kv7.2–7.3 channels, which very likely results from destabilization of a closed conformation or stabilization of the open conformation of the channels. Generally, the pharmacokinetics of retigabine are linear and the drug undergoes glucuronidation and acetylation. Results from clinical trials indicate that, in the form of an add-on therapy, retigabine proves an effective drug in refractory epileptic patients. The major adverse effects of the add-on treatment are dizziness, somnolence, and fatigue. This epileptic drug is also considered for other conditions – neuropathic pain, affective disorders, stroke, or even Alzheimer’s disease.

Keywords: antiepileptic drugs, epilepsy, seizure control

Creative Commons License © 2012 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.