Intravenous Brivaracetam in the Treatment of Status Epilepticus: A Systematic Review

Brivaracetam is a high-affinity synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A ligand with high brain permeability and rapid onset of action. These properties make brivaracetam potentially an ideal compound in the emergency setting.

The objective of our study was to review the evidence about the clinical efficacy and tolerability of intravenous brivaracetam in the treatment of status epilepticus.

We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, and conference proceedings to identify studies evaluating intravenous brivaracetam as treatment for status epilepticus of any type in patients of any age. Searches were conducted on 3 December, 2018.

Seven studies were included (37 patients; aged 22–85 years; 21 were female). The type and etiology of status epilepticus varied across studies. The number of drugs used prior to brivaracetam to treat status epilepticus ranged from 1 to 8. The time from status epilepticus onset to brivaracetam administration ranged from 0.5 h to 105 days. The initial brivaracetam dose ranged from 50 to 400 mg. In case series, the proportion of patients achieving clinical status epilepticus cessation when brivaracetam was administered as the last drug varied from 27 to 50%; in case reports, all patients had status epilepticus cessation. The time from brivaracetam administration to status epilepticus cessation ranged from 15 min to 94 h. No serious adverse effects were reported.

The available data suggested that brivaracetam can be a safe treatment option in patients with status epilepticus. The current evidence is however hampered by several confounding factors, and controlled studies are warranted to define the actual benefit of brivaracetam for the treatment of status epilepticus.