Zonegran reduced seizure frequency, and in some cases eliminated seizures, in infants 12 months of age and younger, according to the new data reported at the Child Neurology Society 33rd Annual Meeting by Angus Wilfong, MD, Texas Children's Hospital, Division of Child Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine.

Zonegran (zonisamide capsules) is an anti-epileptic drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial seizures in adults with epilepsy.

"This study suggests that Zonegran may be effective and well tolerated in infants with severe epilepsy," Dr. Wilfong said adding, "These findings were consistent with prior studies suggesting zonisamide is effective in paediatric patients with various seizures types." Dr. Wilfong also concluded further investigation of Zonegran for infants with epilepsy is warranted.

Researchers collected data from 50 patients, with a mean age of seven months. Patients were evaluated based upon caregiver reports. All patients were treated at a university-based paediatric neurology clinic. Twenty-nine patients (58 per cent) experienced at least a 50 per cent reduction in seizure frequency. Fourteen patients (28 per cent) were seizure-free while taking Zonegran.

The majority of patients (n=29) had symptomatic generalized epilepsy (epilepsy with an identifiable cause involving both sides of the brain); other patients had cryptogenic generalized epilepsy (epilepsy with an unknown cause involving both sides of the brain) (n=11), symptomatic localization-related epilepsy (epilepsy with an identifiable cause involving one or more distinct parts of the brain) (n=6), or cryptogenic localization-related epilepsy (epilepsy with an unknown cause involving one or more distinct parts of the brain) (n=4). Mean final dosage of Zonegran was 18.9 mg/kg per day.

Zonegran is an anti-epileptic drug approved in March 2000 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of all partial seizures in adults with epilepsy.

Eisai Inc, a US pharmaceutical subsidiary of Eisai Co, Ltd., a research-based human health care company, acquired exclusive North American and European manufacturing and marketing rights to Zonegran from Elan in 2004. Elan had previously licensed Zonegran from Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. In Japan, the product is marketed by Dainippon under the brand name Excegran.