A review of safety and efficacy of zonisamide for treatment of pediatric partial epilepsy

Abstract

Maria Stella Vari, Pasquale Striano Paediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophtalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, "G Gaslini" Institute, Genova, Italy Introduction: Zonisamide is one of the most promising antiepileptic drugs that was first approved in Europe as add-on therapy in adult patients with partial seizures and recently approved as monotherapy. More recently, zonisamide has been approved for pediatric use in the UK and can now be prescribed for partial epilepsy in adolescents and children aged 6 years and above. Aim: This paper systematically reviews the current evidence on the efficacy and tolerability of zonisamide as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy for pediatric partial epilepsy. Methods: Relevant randomized clinical trials and open-label studies were identified by a structured PubMed search, supplemented by an additional hand search of reference lists and authors' files. Results: PubMed database search yielded 12 (four double-blind randomized, eight open-label) clinical trials published over the last 10 years (January 2004 to September 2014) and the pooled analysis included a total of 1,555 patients treated with zonisamide. Conclusion: Zonisamide currently represents a robust option in the treatment of children with partial epilepsy, based on its multiple mechanism of action and efficacy in different situations. Keywords: children, clinical trial, partial seizures, tolerability