Publications by authors named "S Balabanova"

A strategy for the synthesis of 5-((2-cyanoethyl)-X-amino)-[1,2,3]triazolo[4,5-][1,2,5]oxadiazol-5-ium-4-ides (X = H; CHCHCN; NO (); CN (); COEt ()) starting from 3-amino-4-azido-1,2,5-oxadiazole was developed. The key step in this strategy is the intramolecular thermolytic cyclization of the azido group and the bis(2-cyanoethyl)triazene group. Removal of the 2-cyanoethyl protecting group from amides - gave potassium salt of the corresponding nitramide and sodium salts of cyano- and ethoxycarbonylamide.

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Background: Levetiracetam (Keppra, UCB Pharma Ltd, Slough, UK) and zonisamide (Zonegran, Eisai Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) are licensed as monotherapy for focal epilepsy, and levetiracetam is increasingly used as a first-line treatment for generalised epilepsy, particularly for women of childbearing age. However, there is uncertainty as to whether or not they should be recommended as first-line treatments owing to a lack of evidence of clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

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Background: Valproate is a first-line treatment for patients with newly diagnosed idiopathic generalised or difficult to classify epilepsy, but not for women of child-bearing potential because of teratogenicity. Levetiracetam is increasingly prescribed for these patient populations despite scarcity of evidence of clinical effectiveness or cost-effectiveness. We aimed to compare the long-term clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of levetiracetam compared with valproate in participants with newly diagnosed generalised or unclassifiable epilepsy.

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Background: Levetiracetam and zonisamide are licensed as monotherapy for patients with focal epilepsy, but there is uncertainty as to whether they should be recommended as first-line treatments because of insufficient evidence of clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. We aimed to assess the long-term clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of levetiracetam and zonisamide compared with lamotrigine in people with newly diagnosed focal epilepsy.

Methods: This randomised, open-label, controlled trial compared levetiracetam and zonisamide with lamotrigine as first-line treatment for patients with newly diagnosed focal epilepsy.

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Introduction: Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are the mainstay of epilepsy treatment. Over the past 20 years, a number of new drugs have been approved for National Health Service (NHS) use on the basis of information from short-term trials that demonstrate efficacy. These trials do not provide information about the longer term outcomes, which inform treatment policy.

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