A post-approval observational study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of perampanel as an add-on therapy in adolescent, adult, and elderly patients with epilepsy

Clinical efficacy and safety of perampanel monotherapy as primary anti-seizure medication in the treatment of pediatric epilepsy: A single-center, prospective, observational study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy and safety of perampanel (PER) as primary monotherapy in patients aged 4-18 years old with epilepsy.

METHODS

A single-center, prospective, observational study was conducted from October 2021 to October 2023, to evaluate PER monotherapy's efficacy and safety as initial therapy for pediatric epilepsy. Changes in seizure frequency, safety, and retention rate were observed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after initiating PER primary monotherapy.

RESULTS

A total of 124 children aged 4-15 years (mean age = 8.25 ± 2.50 years) were included in the Analysis Sets. The retention rates at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were 88.71% (110/124), 84.68% (105/124), 78.26% (90/115), and 71.58% (68/95), respectively. Seizure freedom rates at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were 85.45%, 79.09%, 76.24%, and 75.31%, respectively. The responder rates (≥50% but <100%) at the same endpoints were 9.09%, 14.55%, 12.87%, and 7.41%, respectively. Seizure freedom rate of PER was independent of age at PER initiation, seizure onset age, gender, baseline frequency, seizure types, and family history of epilepsy (p > 0.05) but associated with duration of treatment (p = 0.001) and maintenance dose (p = 0.022). Additionally, 124 patients were included in the safety analysis set. The overall adverse event rate was 38.71% (48/124), with irritability (19 cases, 15.32%) and dizziness (18 cases, 14.52%) being the most common adverse effects. One patient discontinued PER monotherapy within 1 month due to unbearable itching of the skin.

SIGNIFICANCE

PER monotherapy as the primary anti-seizure medication (ASM) for pediatric epilepsy demonstrates high efficacy and safety in real-world clinical treatment. Patients who respond well to this drug and adhere to long-term treatment can achieve favorable seizure control. Furthermore, patients achieving seizure freedom with a relatively lower dose can opt for the same dose as the maintenance dose.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

This study provided the efficacy and safety of PER monotherapy as the primary ASM for Chinese pediatric epilepsy. In total, 124 patients took part. The seizure freedom rates were over 70% at different observation points (OPs), along with a retention rate of 71.58% at the 12-month OP. Most of adverse effects observed were mild to moderate.

Perampanel in post-stroke epilepsy: Clinical practice data from the PERampanel as Only Concomitant antiseizure medication (PEROC) study

INTRODUCTION

Post-stroke epilepsy (PSE) is one of the most common causes of acquired epilepsy. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence regarding the clinical profile of antiseizure medications (ASMs) in PSE. This study aims to evaluate the 12-month effectiveness and tolerability of perampanel (PER) used as only add-on treatment in patients with PSE in a real-world setting.

METHODS

We performed a subgroup analysis of PSE patients included in a previous retrospective, longitudinal, multicentre observational study on adults. Treatment discontinuation, seizure frequency and adverse events were collected at 3, 6 and 12 months. Sub-analyses by early (≤1 previous ASM) or late PER add-on were also conducted.

RESULTS

Our analysis included 56 individuals with PSE, characterized by varying initial treatment modalities and timeframes relative to disease onset. We found notable retention rates (92.8%, 83.7%, and 69% at 3, 6, and 12 months), with treatment withdrawal mainly due to poor tolerability. One year after PER introduction, seizure frequency significantly reduced, with a responder rate (≥50% reduction) of 83.9% and a seizure-free rate of 51.6%. Adverse events occurred in 25 (46.3%) patients, mainly dizziness, irritability, and behavioural disorders. No major statistical differences were found between early (30 patients, 53.6%) and late add-on groups, except for a higher 6-month responder rate in the early add-on group.

CONCLUSION

Adjunctive PER was effective and well-tolerated in patients with PSE in a real-world setting. Perampanel demonstrated good efficacy and safety as both early and late add-on treatment, making it a compelling option for this unique patient population.

Efficacy and Safety of adjunctive Perampanel in a prospective, real-world, Phase IV study in Indian patients aged ≥12 years for Treatment of focal-onset Epilepsy: Study 508

OBJECTIVE

ESPRITE (Study 508; NCT03836924) evaluated the real-world safety, tolerability, and efficacy of adjunctive perampanel in patients aged ≥12 years with focal-onset seizures (FOS), with or without focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (FBTCS), in India.

METHODS

ESPRITE was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm, observational, Phase IV study with a 6-month Treatment Period. Patients were aged ≥12 years and had been prescribed perampanel for adjunctive treatment of FOS, with or without FBTCS. Assessments included incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs; primary endpoint), median percent reduction in seizure frequency per 28 days from baseline, 50% responder rates, and seizure-freedom rates.

RESULTS

Overall, 200 patients were enrolled (199 patients in the Safety Analysis Set and 174 patients who completed all visits in the main efficacy analyses). TEAEs (all mild or moderate in severity) were reported in 18.1% (n = 36/199) of patients (the most common were dizziness [3.0%] and irritability [2.0%]). TEAEs leading to discontinuation of perampanel were reported in 2.0% of patients; no deaths or serious TEAEs occurred. At 6 months, median percent reduction in seizure frequency was 100.0%, 50% responder rate was 83.3%, and seizure-freedom rate was 49.4%.

SIGNIFICANCE

Adjunctive perampanel (at a mean daily dose of 4 mg/day) was shown to be well tolerated and effective in patients aged ≥12 years with FOS, with or without FBTCS, from India.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Many patients do not receive adequate treatment for epilepsy and need effective seizure control medications. In this 6-month clinical study, 199 patients from India, aged 12 years or older, added perampanel to the anti-seizure medications they were already taking. At 6 months, 49% of patients experienced no seizures since starting perampanel and seizure frequency was reduced by half in 83% of patients. Side effects occurred in 18% of patients (most commonly dizziness and irritability) and caused 2% to stop perampanel; no deaths were reported. Perampanel was an effective and generally safe added medication for patients with epilepsy from India.

Investigating the Effects of Perampanel on Autophagy-mediated Regulation of GluA2 and PSD95 in Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Despite various treatment approaches, a significant number of patients continue to experience uncontrolled seizures, leading to refractory epilepsy. The emergence of novel anti-epileptic drugs, such as perampanel (PER), has provided promising options for effective epilepsy treatment. However, the specific mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of PER remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the intrinsic molecular regulatory mechanisms involved in the downregulation of GluA2, a key subunit of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors, following epileptic seizures. Primary mouse hippocampal neurons were cultured and subjected to an epilepsy cell model. The expression levels of GluA2 and autophagy-related proteins were assessed using Western blotting and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry techniques were employed to investigate the nuclear translocation of CREB-regulated transcriptional coactivator 1 (CRTC1). Additionally, status epilepticus animal models were established to further validate the findings. The epilepsy cell model exhibited a significant decrease in GluA2 expression, accompanied by elevated levels of autophagy-related proteins. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed the nuclear translocation of CRTC1, which correlated with the expression of autophagy-related genes. Treatment with an autophagy inhibitor reversed the decreased expression of GluA2 in the epilepsy cell model. Furthermore, the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase inhibitor FK506 and CaN overexpression affected the dephosphorylation and nuclear translocation of CRTC1, consequently influencing GluA2 expression. Animal model results further supported the involvement of these molecular mechanisms in epilepsy. Our findings suggest that the downregulation of GluA2 following epileptic seizures involves the activation of autophagy and the regulation of CRTC1 nuclear translocation. These intrinsic molecular regulatory mechanisms provide potential targets for developing novel therapeutic strategies to alleviate refractory epilepsy and preserve cognitive functions in patients.

Perampanel as only add-on epilepsy treatment in elderly: A subgroup analysis of real-world data from retrospective, multicenter, observational study

INTRODUCTION

Drug management of epilepsy in the elderly presents unique but data on this population are scarce. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of perampanel (PER) used as only add-on to a background anti-seizure medication (ASM) in the elderly in a real-world setting.

METHODS

We performed a subgroup analysis of patients aged ≥65 years included in a previous 12-month multicenter study on adults. Treatment discontinuation, seizure frequency, and adverse events were recorded at 3, 6 and 12 months after PER introduction. Sub-analyses by early (≤1 previous ASM) or late PER add-on were also conducted.

RESULTS

The sample included 65 subjects (mean age: 75.7 ± 7.2 years), with mainly focal (73.8%) epilepsy. The mean PER daily dose was ≈4 mg during all follow-up. Retention rates at 3, 6, and 12 months were 90.5%, 89.6%, and 79.4%ly. The baseline median normalized per 28-day seizure number significantly decreased at 3-, 6- and 12-month visits. One year after PER introduction, the responder rate (≥50% reduction in baseline seizure frequency) was 89.7%, with a seizure freedom rate of 72.4%. Adverse events occurred in 22 (34.9%) patients with dizziness and irritability being the most frequent. No major differences between early (41 patients, 63.1%), and late add-on groups were observed.

CONCLUSION

Adjunctive PER was effective and well-tolerated when used as only add-on treatment in elderly people with epilepsy in clinical practice, thus representing a suitable therapeutic option in this age category.

Efficacy and safety of perampanel monotherapy in Chinese patients with focal-onset seizures: A single-center, prospective, real-world observational study

OBJECTIVE

Efficacy and safety of perampanel monotherapy for treating focal-onset seizures (FOS) has been barely studied in China. This observational study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of perampanel monotherapy in treating Chinese patients with FOS.

METHODS

This single-center, prospective, real-world observational study enrolled patients aged ≥4 years with FOS who visited the Epilepsy Out-Patient Clinic of Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University from January 2020 to December 2021. All patients were treated with perampanel monotherapy. Seizure-freedom rates after 6 and 12 months of treatment were calculated. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded.

RESULTS

Seventy patients with FOS were enrolled. The mean maintenance perampanel dose was 4.64 ± 1.55 mg/day. The 6- and 12-month retention rates of perampanel monotherapy were 78.6% (55/70) and 70.0% (49/70), respectively. The 6- and 12-month seizure-freedom rates were 69.84% (44/63) and 65.08% (41/63), respectively. Patients with focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures had significantly higher 6-month and numerically higher 12-month seizure freedom rates than patients with focal impaired awareness seizures (P = 0.046 and P = 0.204, respectively). Twenty-six (37.1%) patients experienced treatment-emergent AEs, and the most common AE was dizziness. Four (5.7%) patients withdrew from the study due to AEs. No new safety concern was observed.

SIGNIFICANCE

This is the first prospective study on the efficacy and safety of perampanel monotherapy in treating Chinese patients with FOS, and perampanel monotherapy was effective and safe in treating Chinese patients aged ≥4 years with FOS up to 12 months. More multicenter, real-world studies with large sample sizes and longer follow-ups are needed to further evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of perampanel monotherapy.

Effectiveness, safety and tolerability of perampanel by age group when used to treat people with focal and generalized epilepsy in clinical practice: The PERMIT Extension study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effectiveness and safety/tolerability of perampanel (PER) in people with epilepsy (PWE) treated in everyday clinical practice for focal and generalized seizures, both in the total cohort and by age group.

METHODS

The PERMIT Extension study was a pooled analysis of data from PWE included in two large previous clinical practice studies (PERMIT and PROVE). Retention was assessed over 12 months. Effectiveness was assessed based on total seizures and by seizure type (focal and generalized) after 3, 6, and 12 months of PER treatment and at final follow-up (last observation carried forward; "last visit"); assessments included responder rate (≥50% seizure frequency reduction from baseline) and seizure freedom rate (no seizures since at least the previous visit). Safety/tolerability was assessed throughout PER treatment by evaluating adverse events (AEs). All assessments were conducted for the total population and by age category (<12, ≥12 to <18, ≥18 to <65, and ≥65 years at baseline).

RESULTS

Full Analysis Set included 6,822 PWE (51.1% female; mean age, 36.9 years; mean duration of epilepsy 21.4 years) with 6,433, 4,648, and 6,233 PWE assessed for retention, effectiveness, and safety/tolerability, respectively. The majority of PWE (81.1%) were aged 18-64 at baseline, with 4.5% aged <12 years, 8.4% aged 12-17 years, and 5.9% aged ≥65 years. In the overall population, retention rates at 3, 6, and 12 months were 88.0%, 77.6%, and 61.4%, respectively; responder rates at 12 months were 58.5% for total seizures, 54.6% for focal seizures, and 77.7% for generalized seizures, and corresponding seizure freedom rates were 23.6%, 19.0%, and 51.3%, respectively. PER was effective regardless of age category, although effectiveness was greatest in PWE aged ≥65 years, for both focal and generalized seizures. In the overall population, the incidence of AEs was 49.2% and the most frequent AEs (≥5% of PWE) were dizziness/vertigo (13.4%), somnolence (8.8%), irritability (7.3%), and behavioral disorders (5.3%); AEs led to treatment discontinuation in 18.3% of PWE over 12 months. The incidence of AEs and the discontinuation rate due to AEs increased with increasing age (55.0% and 23.9%, respectively, in PWE aged ≥65 years).

CONCLUSION

In this study, the largest pooled analysis of PER clinical practice data conducted to date, PER was shown to be effective and generally well tolerated when used to treat people with focal or generalized epilepsy in everyday clinical practice, regardless of age category. No new or unexpected side effects emerged following long-term use in the real-world setting.

Seizure control by adding on other anti-seizure medication on seizure during levetiracetam administration in patients with glioma-related epilepsy

BACKGROUND

Epilepsy is a major symptom in patients with glioma. Levetiracetam (LEV) is recognized as a first-line treatment for glioma-related epilepsy. Increasing the LEV dose is allowed into patients with seizure occurrence against its initial dose. However, the therapeutic efficacy of increasing the LEV dose in response to seizure occurrence remains unclear.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 236 glioma patients who were treated with antiseizure medications (ASMs) internally at our institute between September 2010 and December 2017. Of these, the analysis focused on 156 patients treated with LEV who had a clear history of administration.

RESULTS

Seizure occurrences were observed in 21 of 75 patients (26.7%) who received LEV as first-line therapy and in 33 of 81 patients (40.7%) who received LEV as non-first-line treatment. The seizure control rate for seizure occurrence with LEV as first-line treatment was significantly higher in patients treated with addition of other ASMs (72.7%) than in those treated with increasing dose of LEV (20.0%) (p = 0.016). The seizure control rate for seizure occurrence with LEV as non-first-line treatment did not differ significantly between patients with addition of other ASMs (58.3%) and those treated with increasing dose of LEV (47.6%) (p = 0.554).

CONCLUSIONS

Adding other ASMs was more effective than increasing the LEV dose for seizure control in patients treated with LEV as first-line treatment, but they demonstrated comparable efficacy in patients treated with LEV as non-first-line treatment.

Mining and analysis of adverse drug reactions associated with perampanel based on FAERS database

INTRODUCTION

Perampanel (PER) is a non-competitive AMPA glutamate receptor antagonist used as an anti-seizure medication. Large post-marketing databases are still lacking for safety analysis of the new generation of anti-seizure medications. Based on the FDA's adverse event reporting system (FAERS) database, this study aimed to investigate, assess, and offer evidence for the safety of PER to support clinical decision-making.

METHODS

Perampanel-related adverse reaction signals were mined using the reporting odds ratio (ROR), medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency (MHRA), and Bayesian confidence propagation neural network (BCPNN). The rate and occurrence of reported adverse responses were examined.

RESULTS

With the three methodologies used in combination, 83 signals mostly related to psychosis and different nervous system disorders were detected. Among them, suicide behavior, respiratory depression, hepatotoxicity, cognitive impairment, and other possible novel signals warranted consideration. Further examination of the age and gender differences in the detected signals revealed that elderly patients should be closely monitored for any change in consciousness and the occurrence of movement disorders; male patients should be observed for negative mental reactions like a personal attack and homicidal ideation; and female patients should be watched for the occurrence of negative reactions in memory, weight, vision, liver function, and other specific areas.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that PER had the risk of causing suicide behavior, respiratory depression, hepatotoxicity, and cognitive impairment among other adverse effects. When used clinically, PER should be closely monitored for the occurrence of adverse effects on mental health and behavior. However, these results should be interpreted with caution.

Effectiveness and safety of perampanel as adjunctive therapy among Chinese patients with focal-onset epilepsy: A real-world prospective observational study

OBJECTIVE

Perampanel (PER) has previously been shown to be effective and tolerable when used as an adjunctive therapy for patients with focal-onset seizures (FOS). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of PER as adjunctive therapy for patients with FOS in the Chinese population under real-world conditions for 1 year.

METHODS

A prospective, single-center, 1-year observational study was conducted at Huashan Hospital, enrolling both under age (≥4 years old) and adult patients with FOS. Response to PER was assessed at 3-, 6-, and 12-month checkpoints by analyzing the 50 % responder rate, the seizure-free rate, and reduction in seizure frequency.

RESULTS

One hundred and eight patients (mean age: 26.6 years, 56.5 % males) with FOS were included, with seventy-six patients finishing the 1-year follow-up (retention rate: 70.4 %, mean PER dose: 4.3 mg/day). The seizure frequency was reduced significantly at 3, 6, and 12 months relative to baseline (p < 0.001 for each seizure type). At 12 months, the responder rate was 65.8 %, and the seizure-free rate was 39.5 %. A significantly higher responder rate was found in patients with focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (p = 0.024), among which the percentage of patients with sleep-related epilepsy was significantly high (p = 0.045). Responders had a lower number of concomitant anti-seizure medications (ASMs) than the non-responders (p = 0.009). Drug-related adverse events (AEs) were reported in 37 % of patients, mostly mild or moderate, and the patients who experienced AEs had a higher daily dose of PER than those who did not (p = 0.026).

CONCLUSION

Perampanel, an add-on therapy for focal-onset seizures, was found to be effective and tolerable in Chinese patients at 12 months.

Safety evaluation of perampanel as monotherapy or first adjunctive therapy in patients with epilepsy

INTRODUCTION

There is a need for anti-seizure medications (ASMs) that are well tolerated and effective as monotherapy or first adjunctive therapy to reduce the need for adjunctive ASMs to treat newly diagnosed epilepsy, and to reduce the number of concomitant ASMs in patients with refractory epilepsy. Although the pivotal trials of perampanel evaluated its adjunctive use in patients with refractory seizures, open-label/real-world studies support its use in first/second-line settings.

AREAS COVERED

This paper reviews the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety/tolerability of perampanel, focusing on its use as monotherapy or first adjunctive therapy. The safety of perampanel in special populations and its safety/tolerability compared with that of other ASMs is also discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

Perampanel is a favorable candidate for initial or first adjunctive therapy due to its favorable efficacy and safety/tolerability as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy, its long half-life and ease of use, and its limited drug-drug interactions. The proposed mitigation strategies for managing the risk of serious psychiatric adverse events are appropriate patient selection, use of low doses, and slow titration. The growing body of evidence might shift current treatment strategies towards the early use of perampanel and its use at a low dose (4 mg/day).

Efficacy and adverse reactions of perampanel in the treatment of epilepsy in children

Objective

To observe the clinical effect and adverse reactions of perampanel in the treatment of epilepsy in children.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on 83 children with epilepsy who were treated with perampanel in the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from April to August 2021. The treatment status, prognosis and adverse reactions were followed up. The effective rates of different age groups, different seizure types and epilepsy syndromes, and different treatment methods were statistically analyzed. The effective rate and adverse reactions of all patients were statistically analyzed.

Results

The overall effective rate of perampanel in the treatment of epilepsy was 62.03%, and there was no significant difference in the effective rate of perampanel in the treatment of epilepsy in patients of different ages (P > 0.05). The effective rates of perampanel in the treatment of focal seizures and generalized seizures were 60.38% and 65.38%, and the effective rates of benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECT), BECT combined with electrical status epilepticus during sleep (ESES) and frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) were 88.89, 72.73, and 66.67%. The effective rates of monotherapy and combination therapy were 88.88 and 58.57%, respectively. The above statistical differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). In addition, the adverse reaction rate of perampanel treatment was 16.45%, including irritability, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and abnormal liver function.

Conclusion

Perampanel has a high efficiency and controllable adverse reactions in the treatment of childhood epilepsy. This drug can be used as a reliable choice for long-term use in the treatment of epilepsy in children.

A pharmacovigilance approach for assessing the occurrence of suicide-related events induced by antiepileptic drugs using the Japanese adverse drug event report database

Increased suicidality after antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of suicide-related events (SREs) in Japan. SREs signals with AEDs used orally were evaluated by calculating reporting odds ratios (RORs) and information components (ICs) using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database from April 2004 to December 2021. Additionally, factors affecting the occurrence of SREs and time-to-onset from the initial AED treatment were analyzed. Of 22 AEDs, 12 (perampanel hydrate, nitrazepam, levetiracetam, clonazepam, clobazam, sodium valproate, phenobarbital, lamotrigine, lacosamide, gabapentin, zonisamide, and carbamazepine) showed signals of SREs. Patients in their 20 and 30 s, female sex, and concomitant use of multiple AEDs affected the occurrence of SREs. In six AEDs, the median time-to-onset of SREs in patients taking all AEDs was <100 days. The pharmacovigilance approach revealed that several AEDs displayed suicidality signals. Female patients, those in their 20 and 30 s, undergoing combination therapy with ≥2 AEDs, and patients early (<100 days from the initial treatment) in the course of AED therapy should be cautioned about SREs.