BRIEF—EC expands approval of Eisai's Fycompa to include children

The European Commission (EC) has approved expanding the indication of Fycompa (perampanel) to include the treatment of children with epilepsy.

Eisai’s anti-epileptic agent will now be available as an adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures (POS) with or without secondary generalized seizures in children from four years old and primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures (PGTC) in children from seven years old with idiopathic generalised epilepsy (IGE).

Nearly a million children and adolescents are estimated to have active epilepsy in Europe, with 100,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Despite currently available treatments, up to 20% of pediatric patients have poorly controlled seizures, placing a burden on their quality of life and that of their family and carers.

Neil West, vice president EMEA, for Eisai’s global neurology business unit, said: “Eisai is very pleased to be able to provide a new treatment option for children with epilepsy. We hope it will provide better seizure control for the patients that need it, allowing them, and their families, to live the life they want to with confidence.”