Keppra

Property	Information
Drug Name	Keppra (Levetiracetam)
FDA Approval	Yes (as an anti-seizure medication, 1999)
Used for	Seizure prevention in brain tumor patients, potential sensitizer for glioblastoma cells to temozolomide chemotherapy
Clinical Trial Phase	Retrospective studies and laboratory research
Clinical Trial Explanation	Not specified
Common Side Effects	Common side effects associated with Keppra include fatigue, dizziness, and mood changes, but it is generally well-tolerated in the context of brain tumor treatment.
OS without	Median OS for glioblastoma patients not taking Keppra: 16.7 months
OS with	Median OS for glioblastoma patients taking Keppra during chemotherapy: 25.7 months
PFS without	Median PFS for patients not taking Keppra: 6.7 months
PFS with	Median PFS for patients taking Keppra: 9.4 months
Usefulness Rating	4
Usefulness Explanation	Not specified
Toxicity Level	2
Toxicity Explanation	Keppra (Levetiracetam) is generally well-tolerated when used in the treatment of glioblastoma. Its side effects including fatigue, dizziness, and mood changes are fairly mild. However, like all medication, it does come with some level of toxicity which is why it's ranked at a 2 on a scale of 1 to 5. It's important to always discuss potential side effects with your healthcare provider to ensure this treatment is a good fit for you.

Notes: Keppra has become a prevalent choice for seizure prevention in brain tumor patients, with emerging evidence suggesting it can also enhance the efficacy of temozolomide chemotherapy by inhibiting MGMT enzyme activity. Significant increases in progression-free and overall survival were observed in patients receiving Keppra alongside chemotherapy in a retrospective study. Further research is needed to understand the full scope of benefits and whether they extend to patients with unmethylated MGMT status.

From Ben Williams Book: Not specified

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