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Carbamazepine

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Atlas of Epilepsies

Chemical Structure and When it was Licensed

Carbamazepine was first discovered and developed in Basel, Switzerland, at the labs of J.R. Geigy AG by Schindler and others around 1954. Initially, it was recognized as a treatment for trigeminal neuralgia (Blom 1962). The anticonvulsant properties of carbamazepine were subsequently reported in animals (Theobald and Kunz 1963) and clinical trials in humans (Lustig 1964) in the early 1960s. Since then, numerous trials have demonstrated carbamazepine to be effective in the treatment of partial onset and generalized seizures. Carbamazepine was originally introduced in Switzerland and the UK in 1963 as an antiepileptic medication. In the USA, carbamazepine won initial approval by the FDA for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia in 1968. Approval for use in epilepsy (Tegretol) did not occur until 1974, and was not extended to use in children until several decades later.

Carbamazepine [5-carbamyl-5H-dibenzo[b,f]azepine; 5H-dibenzo[b,f]azepine-5-carbo...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 1725 West Harrison Street, Professional Building Suite 1106, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Paul Motika M.D. (Drs.)

  2. Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, 1725 West Harrison Street, Professional Building Suite 1106, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Michael C. Smith M.D. (Drs.)

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  1. Paul Motika M.D.
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  2. Michael C. Smith M.D.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsies, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK

    C. P. Panayiotopoulos PhD, FRCP (MD) (MD)

  2. Department of Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK

    C. P. Panayiotopoulos PhD, FRCP (MD) (MD)

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Motika, P., Smith, M.C. (2010). Carbamazepine. In: Panayiotopoulos, C.P. (eds) Atlas of Epilepsies. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-128-6_260

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-128-6_260

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