Long-term efficacy and tolerability of brivaracetam in pediatric patients with focal-onset seizures and cognitive or learning comorbidities: Post hoc analysis of an open-label trial.

Objective: Efficacy, tolerability, and behavioral/executive functioning during long-term adjunctive brivaracetam treatment were assessed in pediatric patients with focal-onset seizures (FOS) with/without cognitive/learning comorbidities (CLC).

Methods: Post hoc analysis of a phase 3 open-label follow-up trial (N01266/NCT01364597). Patients with FOS (<16 years at core trial entry; direct enrollers ≥4-<17 years) received ≤5 mg/kg/day brivaracetam (≤200 mg/day). Subgroup analyses were performed for patients with and without ongoing CLC at baseline.

Results: Patients with CLC (84/185 [45.4 %]) had longer epilepsy duration and higher number of prior antiseizure medications. Kaplan-Meier-estimated brivaracetam retention at 1, 3, and 5 years was 75.0 %/78.2 %, 61.9 %/61.9 %, and 52.2 %/53.3 % in patients with/without CLC. Efficacy assessments (patients >2 years of age) showed numerically lower median percent reduction in FOS frequency/28 days (43.8 %/74.1 % [n = 63/60]), 50 % responder rates for FOS (46.0 %/61.7 % [n = 63/60]), and ≥12-month continuous freedom from all seizures (31.7 %/55.9 % [n = 60/68 patients with ≥12 months treatment]) in patients with/without CLC. Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 94.0 %/95.0 % of patients with/without CLC (serious: 33.3 %/27.7 %; drug-related: 31.0 %/33.7 %). From baseline to last evaluation, most patients with/without CLC had no shift in T-score category for each Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 1.5-5 syndrome (≥50.0 %/≥72.2 %), CBCL 6-18 syndrome (≥66.0 %/≥69.1 %), and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function scale (≥66.7 %/≥69.0 %).

Conclusions: These data indicate that brivaracetam could be an efficacious and well-tolerated treatment option for pediatric patients with FOS with and without CLC. Behavior and executive functioning were generally stable or slightly improved in patients with and without CLC.