The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it has approved a new drug, Fycompa, for the treatment of partial onset seizures in adult epilepsy patients.
The FDA approval came after three clinical trials showed Fycompa's effectiveness in controlling partial seizures, the most common type of seizures in epilepsy patients.
"Some people with epilepsy do not achieve satisfactory seizure control from treatments they are currently using, said Russell Katz, M.D., of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "It is important to have a variety of treatment options available for patients with epilepsy."
The drug had previously been approved for use by the European Commission.
More than 50 million people live with epilepsy around the world.
Fycompa is produced by Japanese company Eisai, which has its U.S. operations based in Woodcliff Lake, N.J.
