Abstract
Apart from the patient's age, co-morbidities and social context are important to determine individual therapy goals for patients suffering from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS). However, seizure freedom or at least a reduction of seizure frequency, particularly regarding drop attacks, is the primary therapy goal for every patient with LGS. In January 2007, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) licensed the antiepileptic drug rufinamide for the specific and adjunctive therapy of adults and children aged 4 years and older with LGS. It was the first centralized marketing procedure for this type of disease. Rufinamide is a triazole derivative structurally unrelated to other marketed antiepileptic drugs. It has had orphan drug status in Europe and the United States since 2004 and became available in Germany in summer 2007. Meanwhile rufinamide has also been launched in several other European countries. In a randomized, double-blind trial with 138 adult and paediatric LGS patients treatment with rufinamide at 45 mg/kg/d resulted in a significantly higher reduction of drop attacks than placebo (–42.5% vs. +1.4%). It also showed a significantly higher reduction of the frequency of all seizures associated with LGS than placebo (–32.1% vs. –11.7%). These statistically significant reductions were maintained throughout long-term treatment and were associated with good tolerability of the drug. Rufinamide is distinguished by a favourable efficacy and tolerability profile for the adjunctive treatment of LGS. The most frequent adverse events that were reported under rufinamide in LGS patients with higher incidence than under placebo were somnolence and vomiting. Rufinamide is well absorbed after oral administration, is bound to serum proteins only to a small extent and is metabolized through enzymatic hydrolysis without significant involvement of the cytochrome P450 system. Therefore, rufinamide has low potential for drug interactions. First experiences in Vogtareuth with rufinamide since its launch are in line with the results of the primary LGS trial. However, a titration slower than every other day could be a sensible approach to reduce gastrointestinal side effects. In addition, doses of 20–30 mg/kg body weight were associated with sufficient efficacy for some patients. More experience in clinical use, particularly in long-term therapy, is essential, to determine the definitive role of rufinamide.
Zusammenfassung
Für die individuellen Therapieziele bei Menschen mit Lennox-Gastaut-Syndrom (LGS) sind neben dem Alter des Patienten die Komorbiditäten und der soziale Kontext bedeutsam. Anfallsfreiheit oder zumindest Reduktion der Anfallsfrequenz, besonders der Sturzanfälle, sind jedoch bei jedem Patienten mit LGS ein primäres Therapieziel.
Mit Rufinamid hat die europäische Zulassungsbehörde EMEA im Januar 2007 zum ersten Mal in einem zentralen Zulassungsverfahren ein Antiepileptikum spezifisch für die Zusatzbehandlung von Erwachsenen und Kindern ab 4 Jahren mit LGS zugelassen. Dieses strukturell neuartige Triazolderivat, das seit 2004 in Europa und den USA „orphan drug“-Status besitzt, wurde im Sommer 2007 in Deutschland sowie mittlerweile auch in einigen anderen europäischen Ländern eingeführt. In einer randomisierten doppelblinden Studie an 138 erwachsenen und pädiatrischen LGS-Patienten bewirkte Rufinamid in einer Dosis von 45 mg/kg/Tag im Vergleich zu Placebo eine signifikant stärkere Abnahme der Sturzanfälle (–42,5% vs. +1,4%) sowie aller Anfallsformen (–32,1% vs. –11,7%). Dieser statistisch signifikante Anfallsrückgang blieb in der Langzeittherapie bestehen und ging mit guter Verträglichkeit einher. Rufinamid zeichnet sich durch ein günstiges Wirksamkeits- und Verträglichkeitsprofil für die Zusatztherapie des LGS aus. Die am häufigsten gemeldeten unerwünschten Ereignisse, die bei Patienten mit LGS häufiger auftraten als unter Placebo, waren Schläfrigkeit und Erbrechen. Rufinamid wird nach oraler Einnahme gut resorbiert, weist einen geringen Grad der Proteinbindung auf und wird auf dem Weg der enzymatischen Hydrolyse ohne Beteiligung des Cytochrom-P450-Enzymsystems metabolisiert, so dass das Potenzial für Arzneimittelinteraktionen gering ist. Die ersten Erfahrungen mit Rufinamid in Vogtareuth seit der Zulassung scheinen die Ergebnisse der Zulassungsstudie zu bestätigen und zeigen, dass eine langsamere Dosissteigerung als alle zwei Tage zur Verringerung von gastrointestinalen Nebenwirkungen sinnvoll sein könnte. Bei einzelnen Patienten war die optimale Wirksamkeit bereits bei Dosen von 20–30 mg/kg Körpergewicht erreicht. Allerdings ist mehr Erfahrung in der sorgfältigen klinischen Anwendung, insbesondere in der Langzeittherapie, notwendig, um den definitiven Stellenwert von Rufinamid festlegen zu können.
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Bauer, B., Kluger, G. Derzeitiger Stellenwert von Rufinamid in der Behandlung des Lennox-Gastaut-Syndroms. Z. Epileptol. 21, 123–134 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10309-008-0314-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10309-008-0314-0