Evaluation of albutoin as an antiepileptic drug

A double-blind, controlled study of efficacy and bioavailability of the investigational antiepileptic drug albutoin was performed in a population of institutionalized patients whose seizures were not completely controlled by therapeutic dosages, as determined by serum levels, of combinations of currently available antiepileptic drugs. Albutoin did not appear to be as effective as diphenylhydantoin, primidone, or phenobarbital in controlling seizure frequency. Serum albutoin levels indicated the drug was poorly absorbed at dosages up to 1,200 mg per day. Nausea, anorexia, and weight loss were significant problems in over 10% of the patients receiving 1,200 mg of albutoin per day. Few controlled studies are available as models for evaluating the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs. With minor modifications, the double-blind study design described could be used as a means o f rapidly (21 days) evaluating drugs as antiepileptic agents.