EDITORIAL

New drug treatments for epilepsy After the introduction of valproate in 1973, excluding ben-zodiazepines, there was a 19 year gap before the introduc-tion of vigabatrin, the first in a series of new antiepileptic drugs to be developed and licensed. At the time of writing gabapentin, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, tiagabine, and topiramate have a licence in the United Kingdom. Zonisa-mide and levetiracetam are licensed in some countries out-side the United Kingdom. In this article, we review some of the evidence for the eVectiveness and tolerability of these new drugs. We also attempt to draw attention to lessons learned and the conflict between the needs of the pharma-ceutical industry, the clinician, and the patient. New antiepileptic drugs as add-on treatments DRUG REFRACTORY LOCALISATION RELATED EPILEPS