Epilepsy drug ‘redesign’ could improve treatment outcomes

A study carried out by a team of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh (PA, USA), published recently in Molecular Pharmacology, has presented a novel version of retigabine that may help to reduce the side effects associated with the FDA-approved epilepsy drug. Epilepsy drugs are often limited in their efficacy, with nearly a third of patients not responding to treatments. The development of novel, effective pharmacological treatments is therefore greatly in need. Retigabine, although effective at reducing symptoms in some patients, can lead to adverse effects such as retinal abnormalities, skin discoloration and urinary retention. The team at Pittsburgh, led...