Levetiracetam (6 brand names, 5 dosage forms, 2 routes)
Available dosage forms: TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE, TABLET, INJECTABLE, SOLUTION, TABLET, FOR SUSPENSION.
Routes of administration: ORAL, INTRAVENOUS.
Brand Names
- ELEPSIA XR
- KEPPRA
- KEPPRA XR
- LEVETIRACETAM
- LEVETIRACETAM IN SODIUM CHLORIDE
- SPRITAM
Contraindications
Levetiracetam tablets are contraindicated in patients with a hypersensitivity to levetiracetam .Reactions have included anaphylaxis and angioedema [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ].
Adverse Reactions
The following adverse reactions are discussed in more details in other sections of labeling: Behavior Abnormalities and Psychotic Symptoms [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Suicidal Behavior and Ideation [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Somnolence and Fatigue [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Anaphylaxis and Angioedema [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Serious Dermatological Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Coordination Difficulties [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Hematologic Abnormalities [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] Increase in Blood Pressure [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9) ]
Mechanism of Action
The precise mechanism(s) by which levetiracetam exerts its antiepileptic effect is unknown. A saturable and stereoselective neuronal binding site in rat brain tissue has been described for levetiracetam. Experimental data indicate that this binding site is the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A, thought to be involved in the regulation of vesicle exocytosis. Although the molecular significance of levetiracetam binding to SV2A is not understood, levetiracetam and related analogs showed a rank order of affinity for SV2A which correlated with the potency of their antiseizure activity in audiogenic seizure-prone mice. These findings suggest that the interaction of levetiracetam with the SV2A protein may contribute to the antiepileptic mechanism of action of the drug.