brivaracetam at a glance
Medicine class
Anti-seizure treatment; selective SV2A ligand.
Licensed role
Add-on treatment for focal-onset seizures in people aged 2 years and over.
Food
Tablets and oral solution may be taken with or without food.
Driving and machinery
Dizziness or sleepiness can impair driving and machinery use until the individual effects are known.
What is brivaracetam used for?
Selected UK products are licensed for:
Add-on treatment of focal-onset seizures, with or without secondary generalisation, in adults, adolescents and children aged 2 years and over with epilepsy.
How does brivaracetam work?
Brivaracetam binds strongly and selectively to SV2A in nerve cells. SV2A helps regulate neurotransmitter release; this binding is believed to reduce abnormal electrical signalling involved in seizures, although its exact role is not fully understood.
brivaracetam preparations and strengths
Oral solution
Route: Oral
Strengths: 10 mg/mL
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 10 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg, 75 mg, 100 mg
How to take brivaracetam
Follow the formulation-specific instructions supplied with the prescription.
Swallow film-coated tablets whole with liquid.
Measure oral solution using the supplied syringe, not a household spoon.
The oral solution may be diluted in water or juice shortly before swallowing and can be given through a nasogastric or gastrostomy tube.
Injection or infusion is administered by healthcare professionals when oral administration is temporarily not feasible.
brivaracetam side effects
Common or expected effects
- Sleepiness
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Tiredness
- Nausea, vomiting or constipation
- Reduced appetite
- Irritability, anxiety, low mood or difficulty sleeping
- Cough, influenza-like illness or upper respiratory infection
Get urgent medical advice
- Blistering or peeling rash, mouth sores, or other signs of Stevens–Johnson syndrome
- Immediate allergic reaction, including swelling or breathing difficulty
- Suicidal thoughts, psychosis, marked aggression or severe agitation
- Unusual or worsening seizures
brivaracetam in pregnancy
Human pregnancy data remain limited, so harm cannot be confirmed or ruled out. Anyone planning pregnancy or who may be pregnant should contact their epilepsy specialist promptly for review. Pre-conception folic acid should be discussed with the specialist.
brivaracetam while breastfeeding
Brivaracetam passes into breast milk, and evidence in breastfed infants is limited. A specialist should balance seizure control, maternal benefit and infant exposure. Monitoring may include drowsiness, agitation, feeding, weight gain and development, particularly in young or exclusively breastfed infants.
brivaracetam interactions
Tell the prescriber or pharmacist about all prescribed, non-prescribed and herbal products. Important examples include:
Alcohol
Brivaracetam can substantially increase alcohol-related impairment of attention, memory and coordination; drinking alcohol is not recommended.
Rifampicin
It can markedly reduce brivaracetam exposure.
Carbamazepine, phenobarbital or phenytoin
These can lower brivaracetam concentrations; brivaracetam can also increase carbamazepine’s active epoxide metabolite.
St John’s wort
It may reduce brivaracetam exposure.
Common questions about brivaracetam
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What types of seizure does brivaracetam treat?
Selected UK products are licensed as add-on treatment for focal-onset seizures, with or without spread to both sides of the brain.
Can brivaracetam be taken with food?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.