FDA accepts NDA for epilepsy treatment

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. Sepracor announced Monday that the Food and Drug Administration has accepted the new drug application for its epilepsy treatment.

Stedesa (eslicarbazepine acetate) has been accepted for filing and is now under formal review. The NDA was submitted Mar. 31 for adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial-onset seizures in adults with epilepsy. Meanwhile, the Prescription Drug User Fee Act date for Stedesa is expected to be Jan. 30, 2010, subject to written confirmation, the drug maker said.

Sepracor is seeking approval of Stedesa  for adjunctive therapy with once-daily doses of 800 mg and 1200 mg in the treatment of partial-onset seizures in adults with epilepsy.

“We are very pleased to continue the advancement of Stedesa as a potential new adjunctive treatment for partial-onset epilepsy,” said Adrian Adams, president and CEO Sepracor. “Stedesa represents a significant and near-term opportunity for Sepracor, and the FDA acceptance of the NDA is yet another step forward in one of our near- and mid-term corporate objectives of expanding and advancing our pharmaceutical product pipeline.”

Stedesa, Sepracor said, was studied in three Phase III trials involving more than 1,000 patients in 23 countries. Sepracor acquired the rights to commercialize eslicarbazepine acetate in the U.S. and Canadian markets from BIAL, a privately-held Portuguese pharmaceutical company, in late 2007.