Conditions: Epilepsy
Keywords: Epilepsy
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 583
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This is a two-arm, randomized, double-blind, non-inferiority study using a flexible dosing regime to allow optimal zonisamide or carbamazepine therapy for individual subjects. Assessment of eligibility will take place at the Screening Visit. The subjects will be randomized to either the carbamazepine or zonisamide arm at the Randomization Visit (T1). T1 must occur as soon as possible (and at least within 14 days) of the Screening Visit in order to optimize subject care.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: None arm 2: None

Interventions: intervention 1: Zonisamide intervention 2: Carbamazepine
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Week 1 and 2 either 100mg zonisamide or 200 mg carbamazepine Week 3 and 4 either 200mg zonisamide or 4800 mg carbamazepine Week 5 and 6 either 300mg zonisamide or 600 mg carbamazepine; this dose then to be maintained unless a subject has a seizure more than two weeks post a dose increase. intervention 2: Week 1 and 2 either 100mg zonisamide or 200 mg carbamazepine Week 3 and 4 either 200mg zonisamide or 4800 mg carbamazepine Week 5 and 6 either 300mg zonisamide or 600 mg carbamazepine; this dose then to be maintained unless a subject has a seizure more than two weeks post a dose increase.

Protocol document: