Safety review of epilepsy medicines in pregnancy by MHRA

7 January 2021

Women in the UK receiving treatment for epilepsy are being urged to discuss with a healthcare professional the right treatment for them if they anticipate becoming pregnant even sometime in the future, following a safety review.

Lamotrigine (marketed under the brand name Lamictal by GlaxoSmithKline [LSE: GSK]) and levetiracetam (Keppra from UCB [Euronext Brussels: UCB]) have been found to be safer than other antiepileptic drugs in pregnancy. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) advises patients not to stop taking their current medicines without first discussing it with a healthcare professional.

The review by the MHRA examined safety data for risks of major birth defects or abnormalities and concerns with the child’s development including learning and thinking abilities for other key antiepileptic drugs. It found that a number of these epilepsy medicines may be associated with some increased risks in pregnancy.

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