Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) Approves the Reimbursement of Zonegran® (zonisamide) Monotherapy Treatment for Adults with Newly Diagnosed Partial Epilepsy

Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) ApprovesItalian Medicines Agency (AIFA) Approves the Reimbursement of Zonegran® (zonisamide) Monotherapy Treatment for Adults with Newly Diagnosed Partial Epilepsy PR Newswire HATFIELD, England, October 22, 2013 ®Class A reimbursement granted for Zonegran (zonisamide) for patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy ®Zonegran (zonisamide) has now received class A reimbursement in Italy as monotherapy for partial seizures (with or without secondary generalisation) in adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy. Monotherapy is defined as treatment with a single drug. Already available in Italy as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial seizures with or without secondary generalisation in patients over the age of 18, once-daily zonisamide is a second generation anti-epileptic drug (AED) with multiple mechanisms of action and a chemical structure [1]unrelated to any other AEDs. Monotherapy is the favoured approach in managing newly diagnosed epilepsy as most people with epilepsy may be successfully managed with the first or second monotherapy. In comparison with polytherapy, monotherapy also reduces the potential for [2]adverse drug interactions.