Retigabine: Could it be the Next Broad-Spectrum Antiepileptic Drug?

Retigabine is a new anticonvulsant in clinical development, which activates neuronal M-current by opening voltage-gated potassium channels (KCNQ2/3 and KCNQ3/5). Retigabine had demonstrated potent anticonvulsant activity in various animal models of epileptic seizures including partial and generalized seizure models as well as status epilepticus model. Up to date, three pivotal clinical studies had been completed in patients with partial seizures as an adjunctive therapy. These studies showed that retigabine doses of 600-1200 mg/day (200-400 mg three times daily) were associated with significant reduction in seizure frequency when compared with placebo. Retigabine was generally well tolerated and most commonly reported adverse events were CNS-related (i.e. dizziness and confusion) in clinical trials. This article reviewed retigabine's primary mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, and preclinical data as well as its efficacy and safety in patients with epilepsy.