Patients receiving eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) monotherapy may have similar-to-higher rates of adherence compared with patients receiving generic carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OXC), according to research presented at the 2019 American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting, held May 4-10, in Philadelphia.
This retrospective cohort study examined rates of adherence to antiepileptic drug (AED) monotherapy treatment for patients with focal seizures by comparing ESL with generic CBZ and OXC. Investigators analyzed patient-level administrative claims data from the Quintiles IMS PharMetrics Database. These drugs have varied side effect profiles, and prior research has suggested that the differences in adverse effects across AEDs are likely associated with treatment adherence differences. Prior research suggests nonadherence to AEDs is associated with adverse outcomes.