Felbamate is an anticonvulsant drug used in the treatment of epilepsy. It is used to treat partial seizures (with and without generalization) in adults and partial and generalized seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in children. It has a weak inhibitory effect on GABA receptor binding sites.
Indication
For use only in those patients who respond inadequately to alternative treatments and whose epilepsy is so severe that a substantial risk of aplastic anemia and/or liver failure is deemed acceptable in light of the benefits conferred by its use.
Pharmacology
Felbamate is an antiepileptic indicated as monotherapy or as an adjunct to other anticonvulsants for the treatment of partial seizures resulting from epilepsy. Receptor-binding studies in vitro indicate that felbamate has weak inhibitory effects on GABA-receptor binding, benzodiazepine receptor binding, and is devoid of activity at the MK-801 receptor binding site of the NMDA receptor-ionophore complex. However, felbamate does interact as an antagonist at the strychnine-insensitive glycine recognition site of the NMDA receptor-ionophore complex.
Biochem/physiol Actions Anticonvulsant agent that is an allosteric antagonist at the NR2B subunit of the NMDA glutamate receptor; also has γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAA) receptor agonist properties.
