Conditions: Epilepsy
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 356
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
To evaluate the effect of rufinamide on total partial seizure frequency in adolescent and adult participants (12 to 80 years, inclusive) with refractory partial onset seizures maintained on a maximum of 3 stable antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: For 12-day Titration Phase and 12 week Maintenance Phase, placebo tablets matching to rufinamide 400 mg oral tablets will be administered according to the same regimen scheme as described for rufinamide. For 12-day Titration Phase, 1 matching placebo tablet will be administered twice daily and increased by 1 tablet every 3 days up to maximum of 4 matching placebo tablets twice daily (placebo tablet matched to rufinamide total daily dose of 3200 mg). For the 12 week maintenance phase, 4 placebo tablets matching to rufinamide maintenance doses of 1600 mg twice daily (3200 mg total daily dose) will be administered. Similar to the dose reduction permitted in the rufinamide group, participants in placebo group will be allowed only during the Titration Phase to have the dose reduced to 3 tablets twice daily. arm 2: For the 12-day Titration Phase, rufinamide will be administered orally in doses starting with 400 milligram (mg) twice daily and increased every 3 days in 400 mg twice daily increments up to 1600 mg twice daily (total daily dose 3200 mg). For the 12 week Maintenance Phase, maintenance doses of 1600 mg twice daily (3200 mg total daily dose) will be administered. Participants unable to tolerate the target dose (3200 mg/day) will be allowed only during the Titration Phase to have the dose reduced to 3 tablets twice daily (corresponding to a dose of 2400 mg/day in the rufinamide group).

Interventions: intervention 1: Placebo intervention 2: Rufinamide
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: For the 12-day Titration Phase, one matching placebo tablet will be administered twice daily and increased by 1 matching placebo tablet every 3 days up to maximum of 4 matching placebo tablets twice daily (placebo tablet matched to rufinamide total daily dose of 3200 mg). For the 12 week maintenance phase, 4 placebo tablets matching to rufinamide maintenance doses of 1600 mg twice daily (3200 mg total daily dose) will be administered. Similar to the dose reduction permitted in the rufinamide group, participants in placebo group will be allowed only during the Titration Phase to have the dose reduced to 3 placebo tablets twice daily. intervention 2: For the titration phase, Rufinamide will be administered orally in doses starting with 400 mg twice daily and increased every 3 days in 400 mg twice daily increments up to 1600 mg twice daily (total daily dose 3200 mg). For the Maintenance Phase, maintenance doses of 1600 mg twice daily (3200 mg total daily dose) will be administered. Participants unable to tolerate the target dose (3200 mg/day) will be allowed only during the Titration Phase to have the dose reduced to 3 tablets twice daily (corresponding to a dose of 2400 mg/day in the rufinamide group).

Protocol document: