Levetiracetam

Levetiracetam
Clinical data
Pronunciation/lɛvɪtɪˈræsɪtæm/
Trade namesKeppra, Elepsia, Spritam, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa699059
License data
Pregnancy
category
Routes of
administration		By mouth, intravenous
Drug classRacetam anticonvulsant
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability≈100%
Protein binding<10%
MetabolismEnzymatic hydrolysis of acetamide group
Elimination half-life6–8 hrs
ExcretionKidney
Identifiers
  • (S)-2-(2-Oxopyrrolidin-1-yl)butanamide
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.121.571 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC8H14N2O2
Molar mass170.212 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • O=C1N([C@H](C(=O)N)CC)CCC1
  • InChI=1S/C8H14N2O2/c1-2-6(8(9)12)10-5-3-4-7(10)11/h6H,2-5H2,1H3,(H2,9,12)/t6-/m0/s1 checkY
  • Key:HPHUVLMMVZITSG-LURJTMIESA-N checkY
 ☒NcheckY (what is this?)  (verify)

Levetiracetam, sold under the brand name Keppra among others, is a medication used to treat epilepsy.[7] It is used for partial-onset, myoclonic, or tonic–clonic seizures and is taken either by mouth as an immediate or extended release formulation or by injection into a vein.[7]

Common side effects of levetiracetam include sleepiness, dizziness, feeling tired, and aggression.[7] Severe side effects may include psychosis, suicide, and allergic reactions such as Stevens–Johnson syndrome or anaphylaxis.[7] Levetiracetam is the S-enantiomer of etiracetam.[8] It acts as a synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) ligand.[9]

Levetiracetam was approved for medical use in the United States in 1999[7] and is available as a generic medication.[10] In 2022, it was the 123rd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 5 million prescriptions.[11][12] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[13]

  1. ^ "Levetiracetam Use During Pregnancy". Drugs.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  2. ^ Anvisa (31 March 2023). "RDC Nº 784 - Listas de Substâncias Entorpecentes, Psicotrópicas, Precursoras e Outras sob Controle Especial" [Collegiate Board Resolution No. 784 - Lists of Narcotic, Psychotropic, Precursor, and Other Substances under Special Control] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Diário Oficial da União (published 4 April 2023). Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Keppra 100 mg/ml concentrate for solution for infusion - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)". (emc). Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Keppra tablet FDA label was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Keppra XR- levetiracetam tablet, film coated, extended release". DailyMed. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Keppra- levetiracetam injection, solution, concentrate". DailyMed. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Levetiracetam Monograph for Professionals". Drugs.com. AHFS. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  8. ^ Cavanna AE (2018). Behavioural Neurology of Anti-Epileptic Drugs: A Practical Guide. Oxford University Press. p. 17. ISBN 9780198791577.
  9. ^ Wu PP, Cao BR, Tian FY, Gao ZB (May 2024). "Development of SV2A Ligands for Epilepsy Treatment: A Review of Levetiracetam, Brivaracetam, and Padsevonil" (PDF). Neurosci Bull. 40 (5): 594–608. doi:10.1007/s12264-023-01138-2. PMID 37897555.
  10. ^ British national formulary: BNF 76 (76 ed.). Pharmaceutical Press. 2018. p. 319. ISBN 9780857113382.
  11. ^ "The Top 300 of 2022". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Levetiracetam Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2013 - 2022". ClinCalc. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  13. ^ World Health Organization (2023). The selection and use of essential medicines 2023: web annex A: World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 23rd list (2023). Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/371090. WHO/MHP/HPS/EML/2023.02.