1. Adjunctive Brivaracetam in Focal Epilepsy: Real-World Evidence from the BRIVAracetam add-on First Italian netwoRk STudy (BRIVAFIRST)
- Author
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Lattanzi, S., Canafoglia, L., Canevini, M. P., Casciato, S., Chiesa, V., Dainese, F., De Maria, G., Didato, G., Falcicchio, G., Fanella, M., Ferlazzo, E., Fisco, G., Gangitano, M., Giallonardo, A. T., Giorgi, F. S., La Neve, A., Mecarelli, O., Montalenti, E., Piazza, F., Pulitano, P., Quarato, P. P., Ranzato, F., Rosati, E., Tassi, L., Di Bonaventura, C., Alicino, A., Ascoli, M., Assenza, G., Avorio, F., Badioni, V., Banfi, P., Bartolini, E., Basili, L. M., Belcastro, V., Beretta, S., Berto, I., Biggi, M., Billo, G., Boero, G., Bonanni, P., Bongorno, J., Brigo, F., Caggia, E., Cagnetti, C., Calvello, C., Irelli, E. C., Cesnik, E., Chianale, G., Ciampanelli, D., Ciuffini, R., Cocito, D., Colella, D., Contento, M., Costa, C., Cumbo, E., D'Aniello, A., Deleo, F., Difrancesco, J. C., Di Gennaro, G., Di Giacomo, R., Di Liberto, A., Domina, E., Donato, F., Dono, F., Durante, V., Elia, M., Estraneo, A., Evangelista, G., Faedda, M. T., Failli, Y., Fallica, E., Fattouch, J., Ferrari, A., Ferreri, F., Fonti, D., Fortunato, F., Foschi, N., Francavilla, T., Galli, R., Gazzina, S., Giuliano, L., Habetswallner, F., Izzi, F., Kassabian, B., Labate, A., Luisi, C., Magliani, M., Maira, G., Mari, L., Marino, D., Mascia, A., Mazzeo, A., Meletti, S., Morano, A., Nilo, A., Orlando, B., Paladin, F., Pascarella, M. G., Pastori, C., Pauletto, G., Peretti, A., Perri, G., Pezzella, M., Piccioli, M., Pignatta, P., Pilolli, N., Pisani, F., Pisani, L. R., Placidi, F., Pollicino, P., Porcella, V., Pradella, S., Puligheddu, M., Quadri, S., Quintas, R., Renna, R., Rossi, J., Rum, A., Salamone, E. M., Savastano, E., Sessa, M., Stokelj, D., Tartara, E., Tombini, M., Tumminelli, G., Ventura, M., Vigano, I., Viglietta, E., Vignoli, A., Villani, F., Zambrelli, E., Zummo, L., Lattanzi S., Canafoglia L., Canevini M.P., Casciato S., Chiesa V., Dainese F., De Maria G., Didato G., Falcicchio G., Fanella M., Ferlazzo E., Fisco G., Gangitano M., Giallonardo A.T., Giorgi F.S., La Neve A., Mecarelli O., Montalenti E., Piazza F., Pulitano P., Quarato P.P., Ranzato F., Rosati E., Tassi L., and Di Bonaventura C.
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Context (language use) ,Brivaracetam ,medicine.disease ,Discontinuation ,law.invention ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Epilepsy ,Randomized controlled trial ,Tolerability ,focal epilepsy, add-on therapy, seizure ,law ,Concomitant ,Internal medicine ,Medicine ,Pharmacology (medical) ,Neurology (clinical) ,Levetiracetam ,Original Research Article ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Background: In randomized controlled trials, add-on brivaracetam (BRV) reduced seizure frequency in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. Studies performed in a naturalistic setting are a useful complement to characterize the drug profile. Objective: This multicentre study assessed the effectiveness and tolerability of adjunctive BRV in a large population of patients with focal epilepsy in the context of real-world clinical practice. Methods: The BRIVAFIRST (BRIVAracetam add-on First Italian netwoRk STudy) was a retrospective, multicentre study including adult patients prescribed adjunctive BRV. Patients with focal epilepsy and 12-month follow-up were considered. Main outcomes included the rates of seizure‐freedom, seizure response (≥50% reduction in baseline seizure frequency), and treatment discontinuation. The incidence of adverse events (AEs) was also considered. Analyses by levetiracetam (LEV) status and concomitant use of strong enzyme-inducing antiseizure medications (EiASMs) and sodium channel blockers (SCBs) were performed. Results: A total of 1029 patients with a median age of 45years (33–56) was included. At 12 months, 169 (16.4%) patients were seizure-free and 383 (37.2%) were seizure responders. The rate of seizure freedom was 22.3% in LEV-naive patients, 7.1% in patients with prior LEV use and discontinuation due to insufficient efficacy, and 31.2% in patients with prior LEV use and discontinuation due to AEs (p 
- Published
- 2021