Antiepileptic drugs | Preclinical drug development in epilepsy

The past two decades have witnessed an unprecedented expansion in the number of drugs available for the treatment of seizure disorders. This article will review contemporary strategies for the discovery of antiepileptic agents and the use of experimental models in initial screening protocols. Methods for the detailed evaluation of preclinical efficacy and toxicity, as undertaken by the Antiepileptic Drug Development program at the University of Utah, are discussed. Testing procedures for chronic organ-specific toxicity, and overall utility of data obtained from preclinical screening of candidate compounds – with reference to their likely clinical activity – are also considered