Pharmacokinetics of New Antiepileptic Drugs

This article surveys the pharmacokinetic parameters for the new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs): felbamate, gabapentin, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, tiagabine, topiramate, and vigabatrin. Compared to the pharmacokinetics of standard AEDs, these new AEDs have progressed in terms of (a) longer half-lives, permitting once- or twice-daily dosing, (b) greatly reduced potential for drug interactions, thus increasing ease of treatment, and (c) general lack of hepatic enzyme induction, which facilitates polytherapy as well as other aspects of treatment.