Pharmacokinetic profile of topiramate in comparison with other new antiepileptic drugs.

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in broad use today have a number of pharmacokinetic liabilities, including a propensity for clinically meaningful drug interactions. Therefore, new AEDs with improved pharmacokinetic characteristics would be welcomed. The pharmacokinetic profiles of six newer AEDs--topiramate (TPM), gabapentin (GBP), vigabatrin (VGB), lamotrigine (LTG), oxcarbazepine (OCBZ), and felbamate--were reviewed. Some of these AEDs offer an improvement in one or more pharmacokinetic parameters compared with traditional AEDs, with TPM, GBP, VGB, and OCBZ demonstrating the most advantageous overall pharmacokinetic profiles.