Gabapentin: new indication. Little impact on partial epilepsy in children between 3 and 12

(1) The standard treatment for partial epilepsy in children is carbamazepine. The efficacy of other antiepileptics has also been documented, either alone (phenobarbital, oxcarbazepine, valproate sodium, phenytoin), or in drug combinations (lamotrigine, topiramate). (2) A licence extension has been granted in France for gabapentin in partial epilepsy in children aged 3 to 12 years, in combination with other antiepileptics. (3) The clinical file contains no data from trials comparing gabapentin with other antiepileptics. (4) The main double-blind trial involved 247 children who were treated either with their usual treatment + gabapentin or usual treatment + placebo. Gabapentin was only moderately effective, and the overall number of responders did not differ significantly between the gabapentin and placebo groups. (5) In this trial the main adverse effects among the children on their usual treatment + gabapentin were behavioural disorders (hostility and mood swings). (6) In practice, the licensing of gabapentin for children with partial epilepsy aged between 3 and 12 years changes nothing in their practical management.