Efficacy and Safety of Eslicarbazepine Acetate: A Single-Center Experience

Background Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a third-generation anti-seizure drug used in patients with focal-onset seizures. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ESL for the treatment of epilepsy in a real-world clinical setting. Methods From March 2022 to April 2023, the medical records of patients with epilepsy who were prescribed ESL at Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital were analyzed. Efficacy outcomes were assessed based on seizure frequency, while safety outcomes included the occurrence of adverse events. Results In total, 93 patients were included in the analysis. Over the 1-year follow-up period, ESL demonstrated a significant reduction in seizure frequency. Seventy patients (75.3%) achieved seizure freedom (including 19 patients who were seizure-free for more than 1 year before taking ESL) and 78 patients (86.7%) experienced seizure reduction. Adverse events were reported in 16 patients (17.2%), with the most commonly observed being hyponatremia (5.4%), dizziness (4.3%), seizure aggravation (3.2%), and somnolence (2.2%). Conclusions In this real-world setting, ESL demonstrated sustained efficacy in reducing seizure frequency over 1 year of treatment. The overall safety profile was acceptable. Hyponatremia occurred at a higher frequency than previously known but improved after the discontinuation or reduction of the drug. These findings support the use of ESL as an effective and well-tolerated option for long-term epilepsy treatment in real-world clinical practice. Key words: Anticonvulsants; Treatment outcome; Safety; Epilepsy.