Tokyo based Eisai Co., Ltd. announced that the company signed an in-licensing agreement with Novartis Pharma AG for the exclusive worldwide rights to manufacture, further develop and market rufinamide for pharmaceutical use in treatment of epilepsy.

Rufinamide, a structurally novel compound unrelated to currently marketed antiepileptic drugs, is a broad-spectrum anticonvulsant, which was discovered and developed by Novartis. In Phase III clinical trials completed in the US and the EU, rufinamide demonstrated statistically significant efficacy as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of inadequately controlled partial seizures in adult patients and in seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

Eisai plans to file the drug application for rufinamide to US and EU health authorities, in order to strengthen its presence in the field of neurology and provide increased benefits to patients who are suffering from epilepsy.

Epilepsy, often referred to as seizure disorder, is a neurological condition that is associated with recurrent electrical discharges in the brain that disrupt the functioning of the nervous system. The intermittent bursts of electrical energy that may cause seizures, which can affect consciousness, bodily movements or sensations. There are multiple causes of epilepsy in children, including head injuries, lack of oxygen at birth, brain tumors, infections (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and high fevers. In approximately seven out of 10 cases of epilepsy, doctors cannot find the underlying cause.