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Published on: May 16, 2019
Teratogenicity of zonisamide and other little-used antiseizure medications
Frank J E Vajda1, Terence J O'Brien2, Janet E Graham3
1Departments of Medicine and Neurosciences, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia; Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
Purpose:
To investigate the risk of teratogenesis occurring in relation to intrauterine exposure to infrequently used antiseizure medications in Australia.
Methods:
Analysis of data contained in the Raoul Wallenberg Australian Pregnancy Register of Antiepileptic Drugs.
Results:
There was statistically significant evidence that zonisamide, but not any other of nine infrequently used antiseizure medications in Australia, was associated with a risk of teratogenesis related to the maternal dose of the drug taken in at least the earlier half of pregnancy.
Conclusions:
The teratogenesis associated with zonisamide, like that associated with topiramate and possibly acetazolamide, may be an expression of a class effect shared among sulphonamide-derived carbonic anhydrase inhibitors that possess anti-seizure activity.
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