Pavel Klein, MD: Challenges of Treating Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

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The director of the Mid-Atlantic Epilepsy and Sleep Center also noted how serious adverse effects from treatment can be detrimental to patients’ lives.

"The goal for all of us who look after patients with seizures is to find a treatment that will get the patient free of seizures and allow them to return back to normal life—ideally free of seizures and free of [adverse] effects.”

Data from the post-hoc analysis of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled (N01358; NCT01261325) and open-label extension (OLE; N01379; NCT01339559) trials of adjunctive brivaracetam (BRV) presented at the American Epilepsy Society (AES) Annual Meeting, December 4–8, 2020, demonstrated that adults with focal seizures had higher retention rates of BRV the fewer number of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) they had previously been exposed to. These patients were less likely to discontinue BRV due to lack of efficacy or treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs).

The data, presented by Pavel Klein, MD, director, Mid-Atlantic Epilepsy and Sleep Center, showed that long-term efficacy was highest in patients with 1-2 lifetime AEDs and decreased by number of lifetime AEDs, though patients exposed to ≥7 AEDs still benefitted from long-term BRV treatment.

NeurologyLive spoke with Klein to learn more about BRV and the challenges that both physicians and patients face in the process of treating drug-resistant epilepsy.

For more coverage of AES 2020, click here.