Eisai Receives Marketing Approval for Zonegran® (zonisamide) Monotherapy Treatment for Epilepsy

Eisai Receives Marketing Approval for Zonegran® (zonisamide) Monotherapy Treatment for Epilepsy PR Newswire HATFIELD, England, July 3, 2012 HATFIELD, England, July 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued Marketing Authorisation ®Approval (MAA) to extend the use of once-daily Zonegran (zonisamide) from adjunctive therapy to also include monotherapy for the treatment of partial seizures (with or without secondary generalisation) in adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy. Zonisamide is a second generation anti-epileptic drug (AED) with multiple mechanisms of action and a chemical structure which is unrelated to any other [1]AEDs. For patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy, monotherapy is the preferred option for managing their condition as this reduces the potential for [2]adverse drug interactions. Commenting on the MAA, Michel Baulac, Head of the Epilepsy department at the Pitie-Salpetrière Hospital, Paris, France said, "Monotherapy is the optimal treatment approach for managing epilepsy. Therefore, the EU approval of zonisamide monotherapy is of real significance for newly diagnosed epilepsy patients who will, for the first time, be able to access this proven treatment as a first-line option in their care pathway." [3]There are an estimated six million people living with epilepsy in Europe and [4]an estimated 50 million people worldwide.