[The pharmacologic and clinical profile of the new anticonvulsant felbamate--an overview].

Felbamate is a new anticonvulsant which has already been marketed in some countries outside Germany, i. e., in the United States. Since marketing in Germany is in progress, one may soon expect felbamate to be in clinical use. Both the chemical structure and the probable mechanism of action are different from the currently available antiepileptic drugs. The studies already published allow to expect felbamate to improve substantially the possibilities of antiepileptic pharmacotherapy, since it is an anticonvulsant with a high efficacy in the treatment of partial epilepsy and especially with a very good tolerability. Its disadvantage are numerous interactions with other antiepileptic drugs. This article is an update review of the literature on felbamate.