Long-term efficacy and cognitive effects of vigabatrin

Vigabatrin is effective as add-on therapy in about 50% of patients with partial epilepsy refractory to drugs. Furthermore, at least half of the original responders maintain the response over several years. As monotherapy, both vigabatrin and carbamazepine seem to be successful in a similar proportion of newly diagnosed patients with epilepsy, but carbamazepine monotherapy fails more often due to side-effects and vigabatrin more often due to lack of efficacy. However, vigabatrin monotherapy seems to be extremely well tolerated, particularly in relation to cognitive function.