Oxcarbazepine – place in the therapy of epilepsy

Oxcarbazepine (OXC) is a structural analogue of carbamazepine (CBZ) with a similar mechanism of action associated with inhibition of sodium channel activation. The modifications of the structure, although small, are essential for the metabolism of the drug, its tolerance and interaction with other drugs. OXC does not show greater effectiveness than carbamazepine in focal seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures but is somewhat better tolerated. The main distinguishing factor of OXC is the safety of its use in pregnancy confirmed in the last EURAP analysis. Among the children of women taking OXC in different doses, the risk of congenital malformations is similar to the general population and smaller than that of carbamazepine. In addition to levetiracetam and lamotrigine, OXC is the preferred drug for use in women of childbearing age and pregnancy.