German Study Lauding Depakote Flawed, Says Editorial

BERLINA German study on Depakote that was published in the summer may have been derailed by critics who feel the research raised more questions than it answered. Published in the 7/27/10 issue of Neurology, the study favored conventional antiepileptics such as Depakote over certain members of a newer crop of drugs. However, according to the 7/26/10 issue of HealthDay, some epilepsy researchers are skeptical of the findings.

Study author Dr. Frank Andersohn and his team of researchers at the Medical Center in Berlin examined data on 44,300 patients in the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database who had epilepsy and had filled at least one prescription for an epilepsy drug from 1989 through 2005.

The study concluded that those who took relatively new antiepileptic drugs with a higher risk of causing depression, such as levetiracetam (Keppra), topiramate (Topamax) and vigabatrin (Sabril), were three times more likely to harm themselves or attempt suicide as those who were taking no epilepsy medications at all.

At the same time, the researchers found that patients taking more conventional medications such as Depakote, Depakote ER, Depakene (divalproex) faced no increase in suicidal behavior that could lead to self-harm.

While the study places Depakote and some other newer antiepileptics in a positive light, an editorial accompanying the publication notes several weaknesses in the study. According to the HealthDay editorial, the study was based on a small number of cases. What's more, those taking the newer epileptic drugs thought to put patients at a higher risk of depression may have carried a greater likelihood for chronic and severe epilepsy. Such patients are also known to be at a higher risk of suicide, according to the editorial authors.

There was no mention in the study of the potential for Depakote side effects known to impact expectant mothers and their unborn fetuses.

Depakote birth defects have included everything from cleft palate to hand malformations to undescended testes in males. As for other Depakote side effects, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has since 2008 mandated that epilepsy drugs carry a warning for suicidal behavior risk.