Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42496054›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of neurology2026

Effect of Concomitant Medications on Adverse Event Frequency, Severity, and Time to Resolution in a Cenobamate Open-Label Trial.

Bernhard J Steinhoff, Antonio Gil-Nagel, Elena Alvarez-Baron, John Paul Leach, Karthinathan Thangavelu, Yaroslav Winter, Vicente Villanueva

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Bernhard J SteinhoffDepartment for Adults, Kork Epilepsy Center, Kehl-Kork, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5995-5862
Antonio Gil-NagelDepartment of Neurology, Hospital Ruber Internacional, Madrid, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4515-0793
Elena Alvarez-BaronGlobal Medical Department, Angelini Pharma S.p.A, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1288-5743
John Paul LeachGlobal Medical Department, Angelini Pharma S.p.A, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2086-9937
Karthinathan ThangaveluMeDaStats LLC, Florida, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9449-2330
Yaroslav WinterDepartment of Neurology, Saarland University Medical Center, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9854-4038
Vicente VillanuevaRefractory Epilepsy Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Member of ERN Epicare, Valencia, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2080-8042

Funding

Angelini Pharma, S.p.A.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposePolytherapy in epilepsy is associated with a higher risk of adverse events, poorer adherence, and impaired quality of life. Thus, reducing concomitant antiseizure medications (ASMs) and/or using a newly added ASM such as cenobamate with only 1 other ASM (i.e., bitherapy) may improve tolerability. This post hoc analysis evaluated the impact of the number and type of concomitant ASMs on treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) that occurred in the cenobamate C021 open-label clinical trial.

methodsAdjunctive cenobamate was initiated in adults (aged 18-70 years) with uncontrolled focal seizures who were taking 1 to 3 ASMs. The number and type of concomitant ASMs and the frequency, severity, and time to resolution of TEAEs were assessed.

resultsThe most frequently reported (≥ 10%) TEAEs in the overall population (n = 1340) were somnolence, dizziness, fatigue, and headache. The percentage of patients with dizziness, somnolence, and fatigue increased with increasing numbers of concomitant ASMs, especially when combined with benzodiazepines, chiefly clobazam, and in patients taking ≥ 2 sodium channel blockers. Median time to resolution of frequently reported TEAEs was shorter in patients taking fewer concomitant ASMs, with the exception of fatigue. The proportion of patients experiencing more severe TEAEs (except for headache) also increased with increasing numbers of concomitant ASMs.

conclusionsPatients taking fewer concomitant ASMs reported better tolerability as evidenced by fewer and less severe AEs and faster time to resolution. These findings emphasize the importance of optimizing concomitant ASM regimens through dose adjustments, ASM substitution, and treatment simplification to improve tolerability.

Indexed as

AnticonvulsantsCarbamatesChlorophenolsTetrazolesAdolescentAdultAgedDrug Therapy, CombinationFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSeverity of Illness IndexYoung AdultAnticonvulsantsCarbamatesCenobamateChlorophenolsTetrazolesadverse drug eventantiseizure medicationsclinical trialepilepsyfocal seizures

Identifiers

PMID42496054
PMCPMC13398149

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.