PBS listing extended for epilepsy drug
Lacosamide’s (Vimpat) PBS listing has been extended to cover treatment of idiopathic generalised epilepsy with primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures (PGTCS).
From 1 September, neurologists and paediatricians can prescribe government-funded, add-on lacosamide to eligible patients with uncontrolled seizures — dropping the price of a 56-tablet packet from $154.66 to $41.30 for general patients and $6.60 for concession.
The revised listing gives neurologists another treatment option in an otherwise limited pool for uncontrolled seizures, Austin Health Chair of Paediatric Neurology Research, Professor Ingrid Scheffer told AAP.
The drug has previously been PBS listed for intractable partial epileptic seizures. In March 2021 the PBAC recommended the listing of lacosamide for the treatment of patients with idiopathic generalised epilepsy with primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures on a cost minimisation basis to perampanel.
Pfizer vaccine side effects mild in neurologically disabled children
Side effects from Pfizer’s Bio-N-Tech COVID-19 vaccine are mostly mild in high-risk children with severe neurological disability, according to British researchers.
Their study reviewed adverse events in 27, 12–15 year old children who had severe neurological conditions and the Pfizer vaccine.
“The adverse reactions were all mild/moderate except for one child with severe fatigue and severe discomfort combined with increased agitation until day 7,” the authors wrote in Archives of Disease in Childhood.
“One family reported a change in seizure type becoming clusters, which resolved by day 7,” they added.