UCB's Vimpat goes on sale in USA

Belgian drugmaker UCB has launched its epilepsy drug Vimpat (lacosamide) in the USA as an add-on therapy for   the treatment of partial-onset seizures in people with epilepsy who are  17 years and older. Vimpat will be available in pharmacies by the first  week of June.

The approval of Vimpat is based on efficacy and safety data from one  Phase II and two Phase III trials with 1,300 adults with epilepsy who  had uncontrolled partial-onset seizures. Patients taking Vimpat at  200mg/day and 400mg/day experienced a median percent reduction in  seizure frequency per 28 days of 33.3% and 36.8%, respectively, versus  only a 18.4% reduction in the placebo group. Additionally, 34.1% and  39.7% of subjects taking Vimpat at 200mg/day and 400mg/day,  respectively, experienced greater than or equal to 50% reduction in  seizure frequency versus only 22.6% in the placebo group. More patients  randomized to Vimpat also experienced improvement in seizure freedom  rates, compared with placebo, UCB noted.