Scottish Medicines Consortium approves Eisai's Fycompa and Novartis' Lucentis for DME

Japanese drug major Eisai’s (TYO: 4523) Fycompa (perampanel), a treatment for partial epilepsy, is now approved for use in Scotland after a decision by the drugs watchdog the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC). It is approved for use as a second-line adjunctive treatment in patients with refractory partial-onset epilepsy.

Almost 54,000 people in Scotland have epilepsy, one of the most common neurological diseases. The number of people affected by the condition has been on the increase in Scotland, which saw nearly a 40% increase in six years signifying a critical need for effective treatments for managing the condition. The SMC approval for perampanel is the first health technology appraisal (HTA) globally.

"This approval from the SMC is a positive step in the management of people with epilepsy in Scotland. Uncontrolled seizures have a severe impact on everyday function and quality of life and so we look forward to the possibility of being able to offer our epilepsy patients a new treatment option," comments Martin Brodie, professor of medicine and clinical pharmacology at the University of Glasgow and director of the Epilepsy Unit at the city's Western Infirmary.