William Rosenfeld, MD: Greater Efficacy of Cenobamate With Fewer Concomitant ASMs

“What we found with our particular study was that the people that lowered [the doses] of their concomitant ASMS actually stayed on to a greater extent than those who didn't lower the various concomitant ASMs.”

Post hoc analysis from a phase 3 study presented at the American Epilepsy Society (AES) Annual Meeting, December 4–8, 2020, suggest that reducing doses of concomitant antiseizure medications (ASMs) led to fewer patients with focal seizures discontinuing cenobamate (Xcopri; SK Life Science).

The data, presented by William Rosenfeld, MD, neurologist, Comprehensive Epilepsy Care Center for Children and Adults, in St. Louis, Missouri, showed that patients who continued on cenobamate had greater decreases in mean concomitant ASM use (first vs last dose) compared to those who discontinued treatment. Dose decreases were mostly due to adverse events, mainly during titration or early maintenance phases when cenobamate doses were escalated.

NeurologyLive spoke with Rosenfeld to learn more about cenobamate and the effects of concomitant medication on its efficacy. Cenobamate was approved in late 2019 for the treatment of partial-onset seizures. 

For more coverage of AES 2020, click here.

REFERENCE

Rosenfeld W, Aboumatar S, Bhatia P, et al. Dose adjustments to concomitant antiseizure medications: post-hoc analysis of a phase 3, open-label study of cenobamate for the treatment of uncontrolled focal seizures. Presented at AES 2020 Annual Meeting; December 4–8, 2020. Abstract 336.