Medicine with cenobamate has been shown to reduce the frequency of episodes in patients who do not respond to other treatments
Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) approved a new drug indicated for the treatment of focal seizures in adults with drug-resistant epilepsy, Xcopri (cenobamate), from Momenta Farmacêutica.
Patients with this condition still experience seizures even after using at least 2 different treatments, a situation that affects around 30% of people with epilepsy.
Cenobamate reduces abnormal electrical activity in the brain, which reduces the incidence of these episodes.
In clinical studies, the treatment demonstrated a significant reduction in the frequency of attacks, says Anvisa. Four out of 10 patients who took 100 milligrams per day had at least a 50% reduction in seizures, and 64% of those who took 400 mg per day had the same improvement. In the group that took placebo during the tests, there was an improvement of 26%.
Even with approved registration, Xcopri can only be sold after the maximum price has been defined by Cmed (Chamber of Medicines Market Regulation).
The offer in the SUS (Unified Health System) depends on an assessment by Conitec (National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies in the Unified Health System) and a decision by the Ministry of Health.
Understand Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a temporary and reversible change in the functioning of the brain, which is not caused by fever, drugs or metabolic disorders.
For a few seconds or minutes, a part of the brain emits incorrect signals, which may be restricted to that location or spread. If they are restricted, the crisis will be called partial. If both cerebral hemispheres are involved, the crisis is generalized.
The diagnosis is made clinically, in most cases, in a general physical examination, with emphasis on the neurological and psychiatric areas and with a detailed history by the patient or a witness who can describe the crisis in detail.
The occurrence of an aura, that is, a crisis in which the patient does not lose consciousness, is among the information that must be reported to health services, as well as the precipitating factors of the crisis, the age of onset, the frequency and intervals between crises.
Purple March
The news reaches the medical community during Purple March, a period dedicated to raising awareness about epilepsy, which includes World Epilepsy Awareness Day, celebrated on March 26.
The initiative seeks to inform the population about this neurological condition, reduce social stigma and promote empathy and understanding. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), around 65 million people live with epilepsy in the world.
In Brazil, more than 2 million people have the health condition. According to the LBE (Brazilian Epilepsy League), many of these people face not only treatment challenges, but also prejudice and misinformation.
According to neurologist and member of the LBE board of directors, Juliana Passos, the drug represents an advance especially for patients with difficult-to-control epilepsy.
“This is a medication indicated for the treatment of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, whose results were much superior to those achieved by new available anti-seizure medications. Offering a considerably greater chance of seizure control for these patients is urgent”he states.
With information from
