Patients with epilepsy who respond to eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL), have a seizure frequency reduction (SFR) of greater than or equal to 75%, and are at the lower SFR threshold of greater than or equal to 50% have higher health-related quality of life (QoL) compared with nonresponders to ESL, according to study results reported in Epilepsy & Behavior.
Researchers from the US pooled patient data from 2 multicenter, randomized, double-blind, historical control phase 3 trials, both of which investigated the conversion to ESL monotherapy in adults with partial-onset seizures that were not adequately controlled. In the pooled cohort, a total of 252 patients were included in the efficacy population ([intent-to-treat] who entered the 8-week medication taper/conversion period), and 211 patients were included in the completer population (efficacy patients who completed the ESL-only period). Individuals who met the SFR greater than or equal to 50% threshold (responders) and patients with SFR <50% (nonresponders) were compared in terms of the association between health-related QoL and response to ESL by week 18 Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 scores. An SFR greater than or equal to 75% threshold was used in an analysis performed in both the efficacy and completer population.