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Levetiracetam

Levetiracetam
Levetiracetam.svg Levetiracetam ball-and-stick model.png
Clinical data
Pronunciation /lɛvtɪˈræstæm/
Trade names Keppra
AHFS/Drugs.com Monograph
MedlinePlus a699059
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: B3
  • US: C (Risk not ruled out)
Routes of
administration
Oral, intravenous
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • AU: S4 (Prescription only)
  • US: ℞-only
  • In general: ℞ (Prescription only)
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability ~100%
Protein binding <10%
Metabolism Enzymatic hydrolysis of acetamide group
Biological half-life 6–8 hrs
Excretion Urinary
Identifiers
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
ECHA InfoCard 100.121.571
Chemical and physical data
Formula C8H14N2O2
Molar mass 170.209 g/mol
3D model (Jmol)
 NYesY (what is this?)  

Levetiracetam, marketed under the trade name Keppra among others, is a medication used to treat epilepsy. It is used for partial onset, myoclonic, or tonic-clonic seizures. It is the S-enantiomer of etiracetam.

Levetiracetam is available by mouth in two forms: immediate release and extended release. An immediate release tablet has been available as a generic in the United States since November 2008, and in the UK since 2011. The United States patent for the extended release tablet expires September 17, 2028. It was initially patented by UCB Pharma.

Levetiracetam has been approved in the United States as add-on treatment for partial (focal), myoclonic, and tonic-clonic seizures. Levetiracetam has been approved in the European Union as a monotherapy treatment for epilepsy in the case of partial seizures, or as an adjunctive therapy for partial, myoclonic, and tonic-clonic seizures. Levetiracetam has been shown to reduce partial (focal) seizures by 50% or more as an add-on medication. It is also used in veterinary medicine for similar purposes.

Levetiracetam is sometimes used off-label to treat status epilepticus or to prevent seizures associated with subarachnoid hemorrhages.

Levetiracetam has potential benefits for other psychiatric and neurologic conditions such as Tourette syndrome,anxiety disorder, and Alzheimer's disease. However, its most serious adverse effects are behavioral, and its benefit-risk ratio in these conditions is not well understood.

Levetiracetam has not been found to be useful for treatment of neuropathic pain, nor for treatment of essential tremors. Levetiracetam has not been found to be useful for treating autism, but is an effective treatment for partial, myoclonic, or tonic-clonic seizures associated with autism spectrum disorder.


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Wikipedia

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