Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals reaffirmed lacosamide, a well-established antiepileptic drug (AED), as a versatile and effective option for patients with epilepsy across age groups and clinical settings.

Recognised for its broad clinical applicability, lacosamide is available in tablets, syrup, and injectable forms, catering to outpatient, inpatient, and emergency care needs.

Sanjeev Jain, MD, Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals, “With lacosamide, we continue our mission to support patient-centric care in neurology. Its flexible dosing options and multiple formulations address unmet needs in epilepsy management, ensuring continuity of therapy whether at home or in hospital settings. This aligns with our broader CNS portfolio strategy and commitment to improving patient outcomes.”

Clinical evidence underscores lacosamide’s efficacy and tolerability across diverse epilepsy populations. Long-term adjunctive studies indicate sustained seizure control for up to five years, demonstrating both dose-dependent efficacy and durable safety. Research in pediatric refractory epilepsy also shows favourable outcomes, with lacosamide proving effective and well-tolerated in youth, including children under four years of age. Intravenous formulations have shown success in managing acute repetitive seizures and convulsive status epilepticus in critically ill children, highlighting its role in urgent care settings.

The company explains that unlike most sodium channel blockers that act on fast inactivation, lacosamide selectively enhances slow inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels, which stabilizes hyperexcitable neuronal membranes without affecting normal physiological firing. This results in fewer cognitive and systemic side effects, better tolerability, and a favourable drug–drug interaction profile compared to older antiepileptics.

Lacosamide also offers advantages for patients with comorbidities. Studies suggest comparable efficacy to carbamazepine-CR in patients with psychiatric comorbidities, while supporting quality of life and safety for people who inject drugs. For post-stroke epilepsy patients on oral anticoagulants, lacosamide has demonstrated long-term safety and efficacy as an adjunct therapy, reinforcing its flexibility in complex treatment scenarios. Its favorable safety profile compared with alternatives like perampanel further underscores its potential for broad adoption, including in sensitive populations such as pregnant women.

The product’s multi-formulation approach supports individualized therapy. Tablet strengths ranging from 50 mg to 200 mg allow personalised titration, while the 15 mg/mL syrup accommodates patients with swallowing difficulties. The injectable 10 mg/mL solution enables uninterrupted treatment in hospital or emergency care, bridging outpatient and inpatient management seamlessly.

“This versatility addresses a significant gap in the Indian epilepsy treatment landscape, where few AEDs provide both oral and parenteral options,” the company noted.