GSK drug ‘effective at treating partial seizures’

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced the results from two clinical trials assessing the use of Lactimal (lamotrigine) in its XR extended release tablet formulation as an add-on treatment for patients with partial epilepsy.

The data shows that patients administered with Lactimal experienced a 46 per cent reduction in partial seizures, compared to a 24 per cent reduction for those receiving placebo, when measured over the 19-week treatment period.

Additionally, 42 per cent of patients treated with Lactimal also showed a reduction in the frequency of their seizures by half or more during treatment, while patients also exhibited a measurable reduction in seizure frequency in the escalation and maintenance phases of treatment.

In its immediate release formulation, Lactimal is indicated as an adjunctive treatment for partial, generalised Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and tonic-clonic seizures, as well as for conversion to monotherapy for partial seizures in patients receiving a range of antiepileptics including carbamazepine and valproate.

Dean Naritoku, professor of neurology and pharmacology at Southern Illinois University, commented that in its extended release, once-daily form, the therapy could provide patients with a more convenient treatment option.

“In addition, when compared to Lamictal immediate release, given twice a day, the new investigational formulation demonstrated fewer daily fluctuations in serum concentration and more stable blood levels over time,” he said.

Last week, GSK announced “encouraging” unaudited financial results for the first quarter of 2007, with the company reporting revenues of 5.6 million pounds, a drop of four per cent compared to the same period in 2006.