A Study to Investigate the Safety of the Drugs Topiramate and Levetiracetam in Treating Children Recently Diagnosed With Epilepsy

A Randomized, Active-Controlled, Open-Label, Flexible-Dose Study to Assess the Safety and Tolerability of Topiramate as Monotherapy Compared With Levetiracetam as Monotherapy in Pediatric Subjects With New or Recent-Onset Epilepsy

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety of topiramate monotherapy compared with levetiracetam another standard antiepileptic drug (AED), as monotherapy for new-onset or recent-onset epilepsy (seizure disorder) on pediatric growth and maturation, bone mineralization, and kidney stone formation in children aged 2 to 15 years.

This is a randomized (study medication assigned to participants by chance), open-label, multi-centric (conducted in more than one center) and 2-arm flexible-dose monotherapy study of topiramate compared with 1 another AED (levetiracetam) in pediatric participants with epilepsy. The total study duration will be up to of 1 year and 2 months per participant. The study consists of 3 parts: Screening (that is, up to 35 days before study commences on Day 1); Treatment (1 year) and post-treatment (30 days). Safety will primarily be evaluated by percentage of participants with kidney stones and change from baseline in bone mineral density at Month 12.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participant with a clinical diagnosis of new-onset or recent-onset epilepsy characterized by partial-onset seizures (POS) (with or without secondary generalization) or primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures (PGTCS) in accordance with criteria of the International League Against Epilepsy. The epilepsy diagnosis must be within the previous 2 years before screening
• Caregivers (parents or legally acceptable representatives) of the participant must be able to accurately maintain the participant take-home record and seizure diary
• At screening, participant must have weight and height values within the 5th to 95th percentile for chronological age (based on standard Child Height and Weight Charts from the Centers for Disease Control [CDC])
• Participant must never have been treated for epilepsy (treatment-naïve) or have been treated with no more than 1 standard antiepileptic drug (AED) if temporary or urgent AED use was necessary. Previous AED exposure must not exceed either of the following: 1.)Thirty-one days immediately preceding enrollment, or 2.)A total of 6 months of previous AED exposure in the past if the AED has been discontinued for at least 1 year prior to enrollment
• Parents (or legally acceptable representatives) of the participant must sign an informed consent/permission document, indicating that they understand the purpose of and procedures required for the study and are willing to give permission for their child to participate in the study. Participant 7 years of age and older, capable of understanding the nature of the study, must provide assent for their participation

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participant has a surgically implanted and functioning vagus nerve stimulator
• Participant has a history of seizures as a result of a correctable medical condition, such as metabolic disturbance, toxic exposure, neoplasm, or active infection within 2 weeks prior to the first day of Screening
• Participant has had uncontrolled seizures while previously taking either topiramate or levetiracetam
• Participant has a history of non-epileptic seizures within 2 weeks prior to the first day of Screening
• Participant has myoclonic or absence seizures