STAVZOR for epilepsy
STAVZOR is indicated for monotherapy and adjunctive therapy of complex partial seizures and simple and complex absence seizures.
STAVZOR is also indicated for adjunctive therapy in patients with multiple seizure types that include absence seizures.
- Dosing for epilepsy
- STAVZOR Prescribing Information
Valproate efficacy
Valproate monotherapy is proven effective in reducing seizure frequency in complex partial seizures in isolation or in association with other seizure types.
Valproate adjunctive therapy significantly reduced seizure frequency when added to baseline AEDs.
Proven safety profile of valproate
Valproate has low rate of discontinuation due to intolerance in epilepsy. In a clinical trial, the rate of drug discontinuation due to intolerance was 6% for valproate and 1% for placebo.
Established safety profile of valproate The most common side effects (reported >5%) are nausea, somnolence, dizziness, vomiting, asthenia, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, rash, diarrhea, increased appetite, tremor, weight gain, back pain, alopecia, headache, fever, anorexia, constipation, diplopia, amblyopia/blurred, ataxia, nystagmus, emotional lability, thinking abnormal, amnesia, flu syndrome, infection, bronchitis, rhinitis, ecchymosis, peripheral edema, insomnia, nervousness, depression, pharyngitis, dyspnea, tinnitus.
In adjunctive therapy, as the STAVZOR dosage is titrated upward, concentrations of clonazepam, diazepam, ethosuximide, lamotrigine, tolbutamide, phenobarbital, carbamazepine, and/or phenytoin may be affected.
In converting to monotherapy, reduce concomitant antiepileptic drug (AED) by ~25% every 2 weeks. The speed and duration of withdrawal can be highly variable, and patients should be monitored closely. Reduction of concomitant AED can start at initiation of STAVZOR, or 1 to 2 weeks later if concerned that seizures may occur with reduction.
