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Levetiracetam



Levetiracetam
IUPAC name 2-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl) butanamide
Identifiers
CAS number 102767-28-2
PubChem 441341
ATC code N03AX14
Properties
Molecular formula C8H14N2O2
Molar mass 170.21 g mol-1
Appearance Fine white crystalline powder
Pharmacology
Bioavailability ~100%
Routes of
administration
Oral, Intravenous
Elimination
half-life
6 - 8 hr
Excretion Urinary
Legal status


?(US)

Pregnancy
category
C(US)
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state
(at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox disclaimer and references

Levetiracetam (INN) (pronounced /lɛvɨtɪˈræsɨtæm/) is an anticonvulsant medication used to treat epilepsy. It is S- enantiomer of etiracetam, structurally similar to the prototypical nootropic drug piracetam. Along with other anticonvulsants like gabapentin, it is also sometimes used to treat neuropathic pain. Levetiracetam is marketed under the trade name Keppra. Keppra is manufactured by UCB Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Levetiracetam has recently been approved in the United Kingdom as a monotherapy treatment for epilepsy. It is also used in veterinary medicine for similar purposes.

Side effects

Side effects include: ataxia (sudden loss of balance); hair loss; pins and needles sensation in the extremities; psychiatric symptoms ranging from irritability to depression; and other common side effects like headache and nausea. Recent literature[1] (and paper 2.163 in [2]) suggests that the addition of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) may curtail some of the psychiatric symptoms.

References

  • Keppra (levetiracetam) Final Printed Label New and Generic Drug Approvals. 29 Dec 1999. Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed 31 August 2005.
  • SID 7847774 -- PubChem Substance Summary. The PubChem Project. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved on 7 December, 2005.

See also

  • Racetams
 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Levetiracetam". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
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