Cinromide in epilepsy: a pilot study

Monotherapy with the experimental antiepileptic drug cinromide was evaluated in 11 adult outpatients with uncontrolled partial epilepsy. They were treated with phenytoin for 2 months, cinromide for 4 months, and carbamazepine for 4 months. Four patients withdrew from the study during or shortly after crossover to cinromide due to increased seizure frequency or severity. Of the remainder, three preferred carbamazepine, two cinromide, and two phenytoin, based on both seizure control and degree of toxicity. Overall seizure control was not significantly different with any of the three agents, but during cinromide administration secondarily generalized seizure control was uniformly worst and there was also a tendency toward decreased performance on neuropsychological tests. CNS toxicity and gastrointestinal toxicity were prominent during the first month of cinromide treatment, but subsided with time or dose reduction. No abnormalities requiring drug withdrawal were found with laboratory testing. The results suggested, at best, a very limited clinical usefulness for cinromide, and it has been withdrawn from testing by its manufacturer.